BIG FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 100, 21 January 1908, Page 7

BIG FIRE.

'DAMAGE RUNS INTO SIX FIGURES*

UNLUCkY NEWCASTLE. COLLAPSING}. WALLS - FOUR MEtt ■ ' INJURED. cr TELEGRArn—ritKSS ASSOCIATION—COPrEIGHT. * ' : (Rcc.' January 20, 3.34 p.ni.j ' ,• ' Newcastle, January 20. • Cjno of; tho most disastrous fires, in t\io ; history of tho town broke, out, this morning in Cohen and Co.'s largo warehouse, situated in a block of business premises,bounded by Scott, Margaret, Hunter, and Wolffo Streets.; ! Tho wholo block was. moro or; less, dam-: aged. , Tho principal destruction was caused by falling walls. V , ' ■ :- v ; ;s,i;. . Cohen's was completely gutte|l. . Other promises sovorely damaged- wero'Whortling's • Hotel, tho School of Arts, Binst's piano warehouse, tho Kangaroo Coupon Co.'s; Lasker Brdthers' (tailors), Neve's furniture; warehouse,jind Stegga's (drapers). r'A nim-' ber, of other premises- wero slightly damaged. 'l'ho (ire had a good hold when .it' was dis- ■ covered, and spread with great, rapidity. Tho wholo of tho brigades in tho. district; were engaged , in. fighting the flames, and ■ their splendid efforts succeeded in. preventing a conflagration. . .The lire: at '1.15 p.m. was .well : in hand. Debris blocked the tramway and main rail-' way lines, and the firo disorganised the tele- , phono system-. ' ; . 'Pour men were injured by collapsing- walls. Rough estimates of the damage-range-as' high as £200,000: It is understood that, itis largely covered by insurance. EXCITING SCENES. MEN SHUT IN FOR QUARTER OF AN : . -. HOUR. ■ _ X'IREMEN ALMOST ELECTROCUTED. VALUABLE STOCK. 1 ; (Rec. Jan. 20, 10.20 p.m.) , Newcastle, January 20. Tho origin of tho firo in Cohon's is a mystery. Cohen and Co. being a" ( Jewish ' firm, their promises had' been' closed since Friday'evening. ; Tho warehouse was a four-storied one, and was .'tho largest, best equipped, ,and> most heavily stocked in tho State. Tho stock was valued at £100,000 to £120,000. At its hoight the firo was visible for'.twonty miles. Tho. stock included a largp quantity of cartridges, which were stored in-a magazine. When the flames readied, tlienV they kept up a fcu-de-joio for half an hour.

l''irouian llasmussen camo in contact with a live elc-ctric wire, and was almost electrocuted. Ho was removed to the hospital in a serious condition. 1

Three men named Dougherty, Kirchener, and Crandlo wore removing property at tho School of, Arts when a largo mass of Cohen's wall, collapsed, imprisoning them. They wore rescued a quarter of an hour later, much cut and bruised, and were taken to tlio hospital. Debris blockcd the railway line, and protho passage of a train conveying miners to Lainbton B Pit, which is idlo in consequence. Tlio railway lines wero cleared after some hours.' • Tho School of Arts was : reported as being .much damaged by the, latost"f"crocp." lßesidps v fl/c and .subsidence; Newcastle is also ■suffering from strikes and shipping congestion.