DISASTROUS FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 43, 14 November 1907, Page 8

DISASTROUS FIRE.

, A CHRISTCHURCH WAREHOUSE*,, DESTROYED. '-.- LOSS ESTIMATED AT OVER £70,000... • SENSATIONAL INCIDENTS. (by telegeapii—special correspondent.) .' ' • Christchurch, November 13. The most disastrous fire experienced in the City during recent times, and one eclipsed for extensiveness only by tho historical conflagration that destroyed Messrs. Fletcher, , 'Humphreys and, Co.'s premises- fourteen years ago, occurred at an early hour this and completely devastated tho — iandsomo three-storey warehouse and offices ■■-.-jof the Kaiapoi Woollen Company in Cashel (Street. Tho-origin of tho outbreak has not (been ascertained, nor do tho surrounding jsircumstances assist in any way to throw (light upon the cause. A number of the

pnirehouso employees were engaged in. different parts of tho building up-till nino .o'clock last night preparing and packing (orders for shipment. There was no smoking 'about the premises, nor any fires of any ikind. When work ceased the usual inspecption of the warehouse was made, and every--thing was seen to be secure. The front Vdoors were locked/' and the wire gateway >placed in position. Tho spring lock on this, however, was no 6 fastened. ; ; i ■.- ■ . ' ■ ' ■ ;'-!,•-•-.••■■ THE ALARM CIVEN. J. ■ ■ . . :,-... ■\j The first intimation that the brigade received that anything untoward was afoot .was from a " Press " runner, who called zt .the Lichfield Street station about 4.45 a.m. land announced in stontorian tones that "a -,• tonsor - firo" was in progress. Simulitaneously an alarm was received from , tho box' aib. the corner of Cashel Street; and. Oxford Terraco. 'g A SEETHINC MASS OF FLAME. , T By this time the whole of the second and l%hird stories were a seething mass of fire, and . Jilames were through the . roof ; Ifsixty feet 'into ■ theV air, and reaching fout back and front across Cashel Street Bedford Row. .The • outlying 'fire stations were apprised, and alarms sounded on the various bells. The steamer Delugo irom jLichfield Street was stationed at the Excelsior Hotel tank, and tho Extinguisher at the White Hart tank, while the St. Albans .engine took up a .position at the Cafo well. The two chemicals were placed.at,the scene ff>( the outbreak, and the Sydenham engine, ' arriving with hydrants, enabled the Sydenham high-pressure supply ! to' , be tapped at / Row, lines of hose being laid from jthonce to tho.front and rear of the doomed t Tho water supply at .-,the White ,'Hart'tank was augmented from the. Meat''Company's deep well, but even this proved [.insufficient for requirements, and in half an fhour the engino was taken to A. J. -White's tank, and. returned twenty minutes later, the White Hart tank having .filled in the meantime., Owing to- the nature of the material, denso volumes of pungent smoke were, given off, and tho heat was intense. .She flames appeared to billow\ to and fro in /solid masses, and these circumstances, added , :*o -the , (fact conflagration was de;tenniiedly established, rendered.the task of /the Brigade most difficult. ... ','...

r THE ROOF FALLS IN. The roof fell in with a resounding crash felmost as soon as water was-got on, and for several moments the air was charged almost to suffocation with the glowing cinders and .idust. Tho building (which extended through Cashel' Street to Bedford Row, having a frontage of 66 feet and a depth of 132 feet) >as doomed from the outset, and it was 'impossible, owing to the rapid march of tho pames, to sayo any of the contents. Tho premises wero'dovoted to tho storage and handling of clothing, blankets, flannels, rugs, (and hosiery, and included also the costum'o. 4md. cap manufacturing departments. Tho stocks held were fairly heavy, in anticipation pi tho Christmas business. Tho buildings on *ither side .of the Cashel Street frontage (Royds and Company's and Fisher's Cham-, ■iers) escaped unscathed, 1 save that Fisher's Chambers, the ground floor of which is oc- ; <ropied by the Canterbury Seed Company and' ,*he Flourmillers' Association, were damaged toy water. ■ This -was occasioned by the fact M the Kaiapoi Company leasing tho top ■sflat of Fisher's Ohambors as a tweed store (j<220.000 worth of material thus being saved), (and it was connected with the main warehouse .by a covered .sloping passage-way J down which the water found exit, and from {sthence through the ceiling to the offices 'Jjelow. •■ ' EXCITINC INCIDENTS. i Two exciting iricidonts occurred during fthe progress of tho firo. At the. Bedford \Row indo a portion of the warehouso wall fell Dutwards on to Messrs. Brown and "Company's fruit auction mart, and completely wrecked- half of tho roof. In-' the eastern fmng, a similar portion of wall fell into the .•enclosed Courtyard, three firemen working iin the vicinity narrowly escaping serious injury. Floor after floor of the immonse prei finises, laden with tons .of incandescent dehris,' Jtwisted iron work, etc., crashed downwards, Until finally.the spectacle of a seething fur-, pace, was presented as tho burning masses fettled down into tho cellar. The glaro and flames;could be seen for miles around. A rosident of the Kaiapoi 1 district was driving 'into town at 4.30 a.m.', and noticed tho f flames from tho North Road, hazarding a \£uess that tho location of tho outbreak was tho Queen's Hotol,, almost opposite tho real fcconei

I FICHTING THE FLAMES., : As morning drew on and tho sturdy fight *as maintained .by tho brigades, tho crowds increasod in numbers until tho street was ■ almost completely blocked for a considerable 'distanco on oithor side; Indeed, it was (fonnd necessary to station a constable in vicinity for tho special duty of keeping .iyelists "moving on." There-was a full of tho different brigades, and between 3000 and 9GOO feet of hoso was brought into bso, sovoral loads boing laid across the tram »ines at tho inter-section of High and Cashel Streets. Tho new "Bridges" enabling the *loctric tram cars to pass over the hose wero '■used with perfect success. Some of the .passengers wero a littlo alarmed at tho "switchback" sensation, but littlo or no inconvenience was occasioned, and traffic was Dot perceptibly delayed. THE STRONC ROOM. Tho strong room was opened at 2.30 p.m., fend tho contents found to .bo intact, except for tho fact that they woro slightly damaged by smoke, which fonnd its way through a cssuto in the wall. A smaller safe also came through the ordeal with flying colours. ! THE INSURANCES. *" Mr. G. H. Blackwcll, Chairman of Directors of tho Company, states that the insurinces upon tho premises and stock amount

to £41,000—£5000 on tho building, £1500 on the fittings, machinery, etc., and £3-1,500 on,tho stock—distributed as follows:— Allinnco „. „. ■■■-..„ ._ ...£5720 Atlas ... ... „. ■„. ... 3335 Commercjal Union ■ ... 1425 Commercial Union ... , 1425 Liverpool, London and Globe'...' ... 2385 London and Lancashire .;, ... ... 4770 National ...' „. .„ 1425 Now Zealand ... ; .„'. ... ... 4770 .Norwich Union ... ... ' .■. ... 5420 Phcenix ' ... ... , .;.. ... ... 4770 Royal 5735 South British ... ... ... ... 1425 Total ... . ... ... ' ... £41,000 1 At presont it was impossible, to form an estimate of the loss. The directors liavj received offers of. soveral buildings in which the business of .tho company may bo carried on temporarily, and probably a decision will be arrived at this afternoon. THE EMPLOYEES. The fire will not rendor any of the employees idle, as very littlo'manufacturing machinery was situated in the premises destroyed. "Wo havo been wanting more hands for a long time," Mr. Blackwoll remarked, "and we still want them badly." THE WATER SUPPLY. A'splendid supply of wator was obtained from the Sydenham .high pressure system, which was kept on until 11 o'clock this morning. The fire, of> course, is taken as another illustration of the need for the high pressure system throughout tho. city,' but no high pressuro systqm in the world would have saved the building by tho time the brigado reached the scene., , ':'■'■■ .' The southern wall,has a large crack near the top, and a portion, of it may fall at any time. A constable : has been stationed at.tho spot to warn the public away. The street has been fenced off. All the trophies havo been de.stroyed except-two small gold medals, ono gained at' tho Centennial Exhibition , in Sydnoy and the other at the International Exhibition in Christchurch: "•■'■■

The building in which the fire occurred has long been regarded as one, of the. most substantial in the city, and for many years was looked upon as one of tho most extensive and pretentious. It was erected-in tho early eighties. (bt telegraph—press association.) ■•■'■ Christchurch, November 13. The company does not carry any of its own insurance, so the loss above the amount o" insurance will have to go against the reserve fund. The difference is roughly estimated at £30,000. The Hon. J."T.' Paul, M.L.C., President of the Federated Tailoresses' Union, has sent a telegram expressing sympathy with any of tho Canterbury members of the Union who may suffer loss of employment through the fire at tho Kaiapoi Clothing Factory..

A newly-built six-roomed- houso, owned by Mr. W. R. Bock,' jun., was jcompletely destroyed by. firo at Myrtle Street,' Lower Hutt, at_ 2 o'clock -yesterday morning. The fire brigade had no chance of saving the building in which the outbreak occurred, and confined their efforts to'saving tho next-door, house, which also caught and was damaged to tho extent of £100. Both buildings were new, and the one owned by Mr. Bock was within a couple of days of completion. It was valued at £600, and was covered by a builder's risk in the Guardian office for £500. Tho second building was owned by Mr. Staples, and was insured for £400 in the Stato Firo office.

An outbreak of fire' in 'a'wa'shhonse was responsible for the firo brigado turning out to No. 62 Thorndon Quay at 8.45 yesterday morning. Mrs. Andrews, the occupant of the house, set a fire going in tho washhouso preparatory to commencing the day's washing. She went into tho dwelling for a few minutes and on returning found the washhouse in flames, some pieces of wood having fallen out of the copper and set fire to a bnndlo of dirty clothes which were spread on the floor. Tho damago is estimated at about £30. The dwelling was insured in tho Atlas office for £200, but it is'stated that tho washhouse was not included'in the policy. The wash-house was damaged to the extent of about £7. The building is o,wnhd by Mrs. Stevenson, of Mulgravo Stroet.

■■ : m ' ' Carterton, November 13. / The " Daily News "correspondent reports that the house occupied by T. Ross at Martinborough was destroyed by fire last night. .Stables situated at the rear were also burnt at 2.30 this morning, catching from the burning house. ' '

The racehorses Matnkokiri and Strathcona were stabled there, but were rescued safely. The , origin'of the'firo is unknown.

There is always liability to serious, somotimes irreparable, loss, or deeds, documents, otc., in fires 'of this nature. Inferior' safes .aro useless on such occasions,, whereas Chubb's safes have como through the fiercest tests with credit. The big Lambton Quay fire was a case in point. Messrs. Gaulter Dykes and Company, of,, Wellington, are Chubb's managers in New, Zoaland.—Advt.