FIRE AT TIMARU.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20272, 25 June 1931, Page 5

FIRE AT TIMARU.

PIANO WORKSHOP DESTROYED. WOMAN'S NARROW ESCAPE(special to shx febss.) TIMARU, June ■ , A spectacular fire completely de- . .stroyed the upstairs workshop of"Gha»Bogg and Co., Ltd., at the corner of . .'the Arcade an 4 Stafford after 10 o'clock on. Tuesday night. 'The whole of ' the plant, tools, and .two i pianos, which were being repaired, were burned to cinders. It is estimated that? the damage caused in this dfrpartipent amounts to over £BOO, boi - it is not; possible to gauge the loss in stock in the main shop below through smoke und water. - The , Fire Brigade was on the seen* within a few. minutes of the aton*. being givfn, and after half ap hourte strenuous battling bad the blaze-under , control, succeeding in confining < the outbreak to the workshop, thus effectmg a splendid save of .the remainder, of the btiilding. . >. ' ', Several hundred people, who witnessed the blajw, . saw Mrs" Johnson* prinoipal of an art studio,, what occugies rooms- on the top storey over egg's shop, fronting on to the Air cade *nd Stafford street, escape through her bedroom window and mako her way with difficulty over the elmfc- ! .ing ; glass roof. At last she broke • through the panes, severely cutting her legs on the broken glass. Noticing her plight Constable Anderson quickly scaled a telegraph post and assisted her to safety. The fii», . which was centred in the . workshop immediately . behind her rooms, practically cut off her avenue of escape along the passage leading to the stair- • way giving access on. the Arcade. ,r The stock was covered for £2OOQ and the fittings fofr £7OO, both policies being in the Standard Office, The - building, which iff owned by Mr WV McKeown, at Christehurch, waj& insured, but details are riot available.