CONFLAGRATION AT CASTLECLIFF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 2

CONFLAGRATION AT CASTLECLIFF.

• : ; SOAP WORKS. DESTROYED,. LOSSES TO OWNERS HEAVY, (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) ; Wansanul, March"27. A disastrous'fire occurred at Gilberd and Sons' soap factory last; night, the building and all' its'contents; being.de-. stroyed. How the fire originated is a mystery, though it is believed to have' started in the. top story. It was a great-blaze, the tallow and other' inflammable material 'feeding the flames -for hours. :' '■:,-," It is really', remarkable how Scott Bros.' fellmongery, which adjoined the factory, escaped, as it was about three-; quarters; of an hour from, the time that the firo was first discovered until the engine'could reach the scene, which is near Castlecliff—some Ihree and a half miles from town. By that time there was no hope of saving the factory, and the brigade} turned.their attention to the fefimongery, which contained a particularly large stock of skins, wool, etc. Had it not been'for the good.work done by largo numbers of willing' workers with buckets, the fellmongery must have been destroyed before'the brigade could start' operations, but, once they did begin, they poured on large quantities of water for fully three hours before the danger was passed. Gilberd and Sons are heavy losers, as the insurance (£2OOO orf building and stock) would not half cover the' firm's loss. ' Some 25 tons of soap and three tons of tallow were in the factory, and this, as well as the valuable, machinery, is: all destroyed. The.stock in th6-store-room,- which was saved," was lower than it has been ; for years, while the factory contained much ,mpre- than usual. The firm had recently expended close on £1000 on new machinery and additions to the factory, in order to cope with the increased business. Scott's fellmongery and stock are insured for some £10,000, but the firm's loss would.have been much above that sum had the fire not been checked. The building is much charred, and siyis of the stock considerably damaged.