FIRE IN CITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 168, 18 July 1932, Page 5

FIRE IN CITY.

GUM STOCKS DESTROYED

BRICK BUILDING GUTTED.

BRIGADE'S STERN FIGHT.

MEN ON DUTY ALL NIGHT,

Damage estimated at between £60,000 and £70,000 was done by a spectacular tire which early yesterday morning gutted the three-storeyed brick etore of Winstone, Ltd., in Market IMacc, on tho waterfront, and destroyed stocks of kauri gum and building materials. For two hours great leaping flames reared high into the air, illuminating the sky and attracting attention in far-off suburbs, and although the worst was over by 4 a.m., the smouldering ruins were not conquered until last night. Aβ a precautionary measure firemen remained on duty throughout tho night, and this morning water was still being played on isolated heaps of slightlysmoking debris. The building is regarded as a total loss, and although there is stated to bo no danger of iU collapsing, demolition will be. undertaken at an early date. It was erected in 1015 and wan especially constructed to carry heavy loads. Portions of the side walls fell in, but the concrete pillars, at the rear, withstood tho onslaught. Sonic idea of the intensity of the heat generated by the burning giini can be gained from the buckled, twisted condition of tho heavy steel pillars and girders. From the Outside. Tho cause of the fire is a mystery. In the opinion of the brigade superintendent the outbreak originated in the centre of the upper part of the building among the stocks of kauri gum. At 2 a.m. a night watchman on a steamer saw flames issuing , from the top floor, and these had assumed mighty proportions by the time the (ire engines arrived. Three machines and 30 men, under Superintendent W. L. Wilson, set out to quell the outbreak. It soon became, apparent that the contents of the building could not be saved, and the lire-fighters concentrated upon beating down the flames. Owing to the intense heat generated by the burning gum, which rrnckled and roared with tremendous force, and to the danger of upper floors collapsing, an attempt to fight the fire from within was quickly abandoned, and the attack wan renewed from tho outside. With tho aid of an extension ladder water was poured in through tin; roof of the. building, and three other leads of hose supported the frontal attack. A fourth prevented the spread of flames to inflammable material nearby, and another lead, which later was supplemented by two leads from tho FTai'lcy-Simmonis pump, drawing water from the harbour, was brought to bear on the other side. The fire was at its height at 3 a.m. when tho wide walls began to buckle. Portions collapsed, huges masses of concrete and bricks toppling to the roadway with resounding crashes. By -1 a.m. the brigade had the outbreak under control, and then commenced the struggle with the smouldering ruins. Throughout the day firemen were engaged on this work, the result of which was completed by the evening. Men remained on duty overnight and again Ihiri morning. Two trading vessels owned by Winpfone, Ltd., the scows TTaere and Hero, which wore moored at the private wharf at the rear of the building, narrowly escaped destruction. Shortly after they had been towed to a, place of safety by tho master of the firm's towing launch Mnriwai, the back wall of the building fell out and spread its debris over the wharf. A small lean-to building adjoining the main store and used as a pic-stall was badly damaged. Heavy Losses. The greater part of the ground floor and the basement were occupied by Winstone, Ltd., whose stocks consisted mainly of cement, lime, wallboard and other building materials. The stocks arc covered by an- insurance* of £(1000 with the London and Lancashire Ofiico, with which also there is a policy for £4000 on the building, which is valued at £10,000. One corner of the ground floor was occupied by Sanford, Ltd , whose plant and fittings were destroyed. These were insured with the New Zealand Insurance Company for £100. Another portion was occupied jointly and used as a receiving depot by a mtmbc* of carriers, but with the exception of a small quantity of personal luggage, these firms had no furniture or other goods in store. These firms were: Messrs. G. A. Newton, Ho wick, and Jordan Bros., C. B. Roper, A. Holden, W. Edmonds, Verran and Sons and A. OhrLstic, North Shore. A gum broker, Mr. J. Kaos, occupied the middle floor, and a lean-to structure was built out over the wharf at tho rear of tho building. He statcw that his .stocks op gum, which were between 500 and (iOO tons, were valued at between £30,000 and £.'55,000. They are insursd with Lloyd's for £20,000. The top Poor was used by tho Kauri Gum Contrcl Board for the storage of gum. The chairman, Mr. M. 11. Wynyard, stated today that the gum in store, was covered by an insurance of about £13,000 with the State Office. It was not possible to say offhand the exact quantity of gum in store, and this would not be available until the fitoek-shc-ets had been checked up. Tho two safes containing the records and books of the board had escaped destruction, but they had yet to be removed from the building. The board kept duplicate stocksheets which contained a. complete record, and from these the quantity in istore was being worked out. An authority on kauri gum stated this afternoon that stocks of gum held in Auckland now approximated 2740 tons. It was estimated that, exclusive of the stocks burnt in tho fire, gum in the hands of exporters in Auckland totalled lu4o tons, and that held by storekeepers and producers 1200 tons. With tho decreased amount of gum available as a result of the destruction of tho stocks in tho store of Winstone, Limited, it was possible that there would be an early advance, in the price of gum for yxport.