FIRE IN THE CITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 18, 21 January 1916, Page 4

FIRE IN THE CITY.

BUSINESS BLOCK GUTTED. DAMAGE ESTIMATED £3,500 300 THEATEE SEATS BOKNSD. / MILITARY BANDS' HEAVY Loss. An outbreak of fire occurred at 3.3----o"clock this morning in a three-etor/ block of brick buildings ia Street. The comK|f gutted and the contents on afl thte ' floors were destroyed or seriously daai- ; aged by flames, emoke and water. Thi' ■■ building is owned by Mr James Webster ■ builder and contractor. Mr Webster (>/ ■ cupied the ground floor, the first floor : was taken temporarily by a section of the furniture manufacturing department * of a city firm, and the top floor W 43 « used as a handroom by the Auddijid Garrison Artillery Band and the Afick- r land Mounted Rifles Band. The damage"- 1 the greater part of which is covered by ;d insurance, is estimated at £3500. i": The fire brigade responded promptly to the alarm of fire which was given from 1 various sources, but the interior of the building was well aJigfit before water was brought to bear ->ti the flamee;staircase provided a funnel outlet for'": the flames, which leapt up from one floor ■' to another till they found a way- bf'vlN egress through the windows of the too floor. In the ground floor, where the out--, break is thought to hay& originated, Mr * ■Webster had several oak suites in. , the ; course of construction. These' were- tb--o ft tally destroyed, together with eomeV: •? manufacturing plant and the cabinet- :. makers' kits of tools. On the second floor 300 theatre seated for the Tauranga Town Hall were cba-; r -*" pleted ready for the polisher. These were ;i*i all burned, but the machinery plant is S not 6eriously damaged. The lose suffered by the Garrison '■'. Artillery Band and the Aucklwd,:; v Mounted Bailee Band is a particularly nu- \I p fortunate one. The cupboards contain- ■J 5 ng the Mounted Eifles Band music were : : ?' placed over the stairway, which hail f -J been boarded up between the eecond and*? the top floors, admittance being giined ■■', by means of a ramp from the Drill Hall reserve.' These cupboards were the inst.,'/ to be reached by the flames from below,?";; s| when the temporary flooring wai bunted }y away, and they dropped right through M to the ground . floor. ITifty years' at-- 5 mulation of music, the property of the;£s Garrison Artillery Band, wae Stored; myi .cupboards in the same " loom, • 'WWle these were not reached by the fire, the "'ft music wae co thoroughly, soaked, b? X? water as to be rendered praeticaDy ■useless. A number-..^of brase base, instraments vere damaged and several big jj| drums and side drums w^ie J destroyed. :?; A set of bells recently pwnred by tba. ; °i| Mounted Rifles Band were little damaged. •'

The building and' 3ir Webster's con- ;C tents were covered by insurance to the*:' extent of £2500. in the Queensland ' office, the contents oil the second floor ; were insured in the New Zetland office for £112, and wae« insured in the Ocean office ujSitb £12i The Mounted Rifles Band -was also covered : by:insiErance/.."-' '. ... _