FIRE AT NEWMARKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 250, 19 October 1907, Page 4

FIRE AT NEWMARKET.

TIMBER MILL DESTKOYED. Messrs. H. C. Wick and Son's timber mill at Newmarket, also a portion of the timber stacked in the yard, was destroyed by fire last night. . The conflagration was seen from, all parts of the. town and suburbs, and attracted a large crowd of spectators) such a blaze beu«.<s quite an. uncommon affair in these days of modern fire appliances. ; The outbreak was . discovered about 8.45 by a .railway porter and: a young nian named.W. Howard, who saw a small blaze' in. the •.corner, of the mill.'.nearest the timber stack., They at once gave the alarm, and: then proceeded to try arid subdue the' flames by emptying buckets of water. For a short time the flames appeared to subside, but before ,the arrival of the brigade they burst lout fiercely^"having evidently- secured' a good hold on the corner portion of the .mm. ''-?**>■■;■ The firemen arrived ~,-on the scene smartly, ,but the water pressure, which at first was- -very, fair/ fluctuated,'-.'.con? siderably and became' less satisfactory, and in' spite of all their efforts.the building was'reduced to ashes in about an hour. Several stacks of timber on the Newmarket railway'station side also caught fire, and were totally destroyed. ' A small stable in the rear of the market branch of the Auckland Savings Bank wis also engulfed in the conflagration, "and was completely, gutted. The mill office was saved by pouring water oh : arid around, it, 'while the contents were saved in good time by the police and others. The mill, which was only erected about three years ago, contained two gas engines and an up-to-date set of planing and sawing machines, all of which have been rendered practically useless. The loss in machinery alone is estimated at 'about £1000, while the total,damage is set dowTi at -about £3000. The major portion'of the timber was,saved. A stream of "water was played on to the burning debris the whole of last night and to-day.; The ruins were stillsmouldering up to the time we went to press. There "are also a number of small stacks of' ; timber" in the vicinity blazing merrily away out of reach of the hose, but it is not anticipated that any further damage can take place. There is," however, a large; amount of timber I still in close proximity to the blazing piles and smouldering rains, and, should a high wind spring up, the probability of a; further blaze is not unlikely. : The value of the whole of the timber and mill machinery is. estimated at £ 5000, • the mill, and machinery is insured in the South British .office for £850, and the timber stock is covered for £1300 with the Australian Alliance Company.