FIRE ON LAMBTON QUAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 488, 22 April 1909, Page 4

FIRE ON LAMBTON QUAY.

. ■ ; — * • ■■-.-;.' WARNOCK AND ADKIN'S DRAPERY STORES. STOCK SEVERELY .DAMAGED. . One of tho oldest piles of buildings in Lambton Quay, tho pronrisea occupied by Messrs. Warnock and Adlrin, drapers and clothiers, waß sov'oroly damaged by a fire... which broke out,shortly alter 2 o'clock yes-: tordav afternoon; A heavy northerly galo was blowing at [the time, and the fire nad obtained a good hold before tho brigade arrived on the seine. Once tho brigade did arrive, however, they did excellent work, and soon had several loads of hose out, so that, within half an hour tho danger of a serious conflagration was passed. Tho first alarm was sent to the brigade from Aurora Terrace, to which spot the firemen, under Superintendent O'Brien, went, only to v findthat tho outbreak was on the Quay. : Heavy clouds of smoke wore rising from tho back of tho building; and, for a few moments' at tho boginning of tho outbreak, matters : looked serious for some 30 or 40 young ladies employed, on the top floor. As soon as the girls realised that the building was onfire they scrambled out of the front windows on to the verandah, whore a.mild panic set in; as it was seen that thoro was no means-of getting down on to the' footpath, somo 18 febt below. : When heavy clouds of smoke commenced to roll out of tho front windows somo of» the young ladies commenced' to scream and call for help. Several ladders, however, were presently placed in position, and not unnaturally thoso on; tho verandah "stood not upon tho order'of their goingj" hut made all hasto ; to reach the street, At one time it • looked as though some of the ladies, in their excitement, would jump from the. verandah, but, when several men scaled the ladders, comparative quiet ensued. When the descent had been, accomplished safely, tho girls laughed over-their experience and the somewhat precipitato scramble down the ladders. . ■ '■■'■ ', ■..-.

' It,was apparent by this time that thofire had a firm hold in the interior of tho build-' in'g, but no, flames could bo seen through the dense volume of'smoke. The. brigade attacked the .outbreak from the baak and front, and, before three-quarters of an hour had elapsed, it/Was evident that tfio-danger; wa9 over, although the' contents of the shop had already been badly damaged! by firo,. smoke,, and water. The fire, Which is sup-, posed to have started in one of the'workrooms or a. sitting-room, was. discovered by one of the girls, but the, cause of the outbreak is hot definitely known,' although it is suspected tliat it Was caused by.a spark from, an adjoining'.building. ■/:'■ Amongst.the'goods burned wore a number of. sewing machines, also considerably over. 100 of_ the new' season's;hats./ Portions' of the buildings Only'wcre damaged by fire. The 'Contents of Mr. A. B. Pownall's bicycle shop were slightly damaged by water,' and the rqof of the; top story of the Bamo building, occupied as a boardinghouso, was. slightly •damaged by fire, V'This; building is owned by ithe'trustees of the, Allen.estate.- The Otago; Buffet, on tho south side of ■ Warnock and Adkin's building was not damaged, but tho ■occupants removed a good deal of the contents.' ::.','". ;•..?■'■"■;'./■:' .;•.>;■'■:' :.':'.-..■'

,-.■ the building occupied by Messrs. WarnocV and Adlrin is owned by Messrs. Hamilton' , Gilmer and A.jMaguire, and is insured in the Atlas Company for £1550., Tho contents aw .insured in all for £7200, and this total is distributed as follows:—Oommoroial; Union, £1500; Liverpool and London and Globe, ,£I2OO. .North British, £500; Royal, ;£1500;< Sun, ; £750 ; L Yorkshire, £1000; .Norwich: Union, £500;: London -and Lancashire,. £250; ■Mr. Pownall's \stock is insured for £160i»' the Yorkshire;office. , '.'.:',.; '• .';"■' '■■*.-.: BTRANCE SERIES OF FIREB^-P - A LUNATIC SUSPECTED.' V ; v •■ (dt MLEqaira—runs? association.) . , , >:• ' Dunedln, April 21. i 'Yestcrday ; aftornoon, 5 a patient at Seacliff iMental. Hospital, escaped,: and, ; . early this' morning, threo destructive fires broke out at Waitati, Evansdalo, and Warrington. A. store at Waitati was enteredj and matches' and tobacco .taken; \< The'coincidence: botwoon. tho hour of tho outbreaks with that of the escape of the lunatic, seemed to indicate that the escapee^is,the perpetrator. It would seem that ho began' work at Waitati,by socuring from the' store He. then. set fire to Waitati 'Prosbyterian Church, and followed this-.by-Igniting- a cow-byre -at ; Evansdale, and "destroying, the seaside holiday ( house: at Warrington, owned by 'Allan and Smith, of Duhedin; This morning tho man was seen; at Evansdalo, at 7.30" and at 110.30. It is; reported; that a-pedestrian, on ;\Vakari Itoad,' was.stuck, up by a man with a gun at 1.30. The lunatic was arrested at Wakari. and lodged in Dunedin Police Station, '"':'.&■'; ■ r/.. •:'.:.■.':':". ).. ■. v ':';, ! ; ;^; s ;:y,THE■Jm^T;:ALAJ^M^^ I; .■'. ';.-• 'The; firo' bell rings out its brazen alarm,'. and hundreds of anxious and careless peoplo ' ask where is the fire, fearful that it may be in their own homes or place of business. The careful man' makes the best- provision possible against fire' by .using Chubb'e fireproof strongroom ! doors;' and safes to hold liis valuables in. He, knows from experience tliafc they are safe. , Chubb's, fireproof safel liayo stood the severest tests, and withstand the; fiercest fire. There is no need for'alarm':' if you .have a Chubb. , Mr. James Dykes, ol Gualter/ Dykes;and Co.; Featherston Street. ■ is. attorney, in Now Zealand for Chubb and Son.-rAdvt.',.. ' .- ; : ;-j■■■'.'-• ■-, ;