DAMAGE, £20,000.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 96, 26 April 1933, Page 10

DAMAGE, £20,000.

TIMBER MILL FIRE: HEAVY CHRISTCHURCH LOSSES. CHILDREN'S NARROW ESCAPE. " i (By TelegTaph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. One of the largest timber and joinery works in Christchurch, Hardie and Thomson, Limited's, mill in Colombo Street, was destroyed by fire early this morning. Damage to the mill and to the houses adjoining it on three sides is estimated at £20,000. Strong forces from the Christchurch and St. Albans fire .brigades had the utmost difficulty in keeping the fire within the area of about one acre which is occupied by the works, and had the wind been keener or from a quarter other than the south-west, it is practically certain that the whole Mock would have been swept away. All the machinery of the mill was destroyed, as well as the greater part of 1,000,000 •superficial feet of matured timber. Father And Children Escape. Mr. Frank Salter, the tenant of a house backing on to the mill from Colombo Street, -was burned about the face and hands, and had to be treated at the Christchurch Hospital. His four children also had a narrow escape when flames iburst into the eleeping porch and bedroom of hie house. Three other houses facing on Sherborne Street had to be evacuated about 3 a.m., but they were fortunately saved from major damage through the concentrated efforts of the fireinen. "It was not a very big blaze in the factory when the automatic alarm woke us and we summoned the brigade," said Air. William Thomson, the managing director, whose house is next door to the mill. "The fire was in the door, factory, and looked no bigger than a two-roomed house on fire." I could see the flames had a pretty big hold. I opened the Colombo Street gates and ran round to Sherborne Street and opened the gates there." Mr. Thomson said he could not account for the origin of the fire. "I went through the factory about 10 minutes past nine on Monday night, as I have gone through it every night for the past 16 years," he explained. "There was no sign of trouble and everything was clear. Ido not think that the fire could have started itself." He complained about the late/ arrival of the brigade. ~ Fifel Brigade's Work. Deputy-Superintendent Blake declared that the' .first lead was in action not more than 'sii minutes ter the f automatic alafm,had rung. .He had. been surprised : to. see,the extent of the fire when he arrived, for the automatic system at the factory was particularly sensitive, and the brigade had had a number of false alarms from it. After dry weather the racks of timber found the factory were just like matchwood. ,The flames were driving right on to his men and they had v to be covered with *wet sacks before 'they could make any advance. "When we got there, the Tack's were already burning," said Mr. Blake. "The men worked splendidly, and I am quite satisfied that, considering' the conditions and hold that the fire had when we reached it, the brigade did. remarkably good work." The following properties, owned by Hardie and Thomson, Limited, or by Mr. Thomson personally, were damaged by the fire:—The whole of, the plant and buildings and 90 per cent of the stacked timber at the firm's works; rear of an unoccupied shop; a billiard room at the rear of a tobacconist's shop, occupied by Mr. Keith Smith; backs of a shop and a house, occupied respectively by Mr. Albert Frank Salter and. Mrs, F. Maedonald; a motor shed containing a touring car,.owned by a < neighbour, Mr. Gordon E. Hayman, was destroyed; damage to houses in Sherborne Street occupied by Messrs. H. Rieper and J. Nora; ."-..■ Forty Motors Lost. Mr. Thomson estimates 'the damage on all these properties at £20,000, of which he says only about' one-third is covered by insurances with' the Hartford, New Zealand and Sun Offices. Insurances on the. timber mill were recently reduced. Houses oh two other properties were •blistered and scorched. Fences at the back of these and several other houses and shops fronting on to Edgeware Road were damaged. The mill plant was considered to be one of the most complete and up-to-date in New Zealand. It contained very little shafting, and independent electric motors were coupled with practically every machine. Altogether, 40 of these electric motors were lost. A stock of 2000 doors was also destroyed. The timber stacks contained a great deal of valuable matured timber, including figured rimu and Southland beech. Tfere was also a fairly large stock of glass and other building materials. Two motor trucks and a cart. belonging to the firm were lost. The brigade was still at work late this evening and watches are to be maintained all night.