FIRE IN THE CITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 977, 18 November 1910, Page 9

FIRE IN THE CITY.

e THRSE SHOPS DESTROYED. DAMAGE ABOUT .£3OOO. The greater portion of the drapery emporium of Mr. Horace Archer and a shop connected with the Union Laundry, in Upper Cuba Street, were destroyed by fire shortly before noon yesterday, under somewhat unnsunl circumstances. Mr. Archer's premises consist of two wooden buildings-one two-storey and one one story-connected by a central door, and a semi-detached .two-story brick building, divided from the others by a four-foot passage and doublo lire-proof doors. The faro started in a rubbish-box outside the back door of the central building, by what means is not clear, and tho flames swept in through the door, caught the hanging draperies in the shop, and within a few minutes the whole of The interior of the central building was a mass of flames. • The alarm was at onco given to the brigade, but beforo it had reached th« scone, a matter of a few minutes only, tho flames had belched through the central door into the wooden building on the northern side, which was gutted, and th( stock almost totally destroyed. An attempt was' made to close the fire-prooJ doors admitting to the brick building.on tho southern side, but owing to the door; being stiff, or the running grooves choked, the attempt was only partly successful; and the "flames leapt through the aperture destroyed some .of the shelving immediately over tho doors, damaged some -ol the goods in the apartment, which was devoted to millinery and fancy goods, anil tho heat pealed tho plaster off the ceiling. The two , wooden buildings wore gutted, and practically the whole ,of the stock destroyed, but. that in the brick buildinp was only damaged slightly by smoke, heal and water. ■Mr. Archer informed . a Dominion ie presentatiye that he had only left th< shop a minute or two on his way dowi town, when one of the girl assistants rai after him,'and told him that the shoj was on fire. On running back he fount the centre shop well alight, and the fin 'travelling through the building:at » great rato. He dashed for the fire-prooi doors, and he and Mr.. Jensen succeeded in partially closing them before it becaiw too hot .for' them, to do any more. ... II was his opinion that a falling" spark.fr.oni a. neighbouring, chimney -had: ignitec some paper in the rubbish box, and. thai the draught created by the. open .bad door had carried -the. flames inside, the shop. His total insurances on the stools amount to JE2OOO, divided equally botweei the goods carried in - tho - two woodei buildings and tho brick building, but bj far the most valuable part of his stoclc, and double as much as was kept in tli< brick place, was displayed in the build' ings which had been destroyed. Oi each .£IOOO tho Northern Office held .£6OO the Ocean £250, and the Australian Al lianco .£l5O. •' The wooden buildings were owned bj Mv. V. Jensen, and were insured in th< Norwich Union Office for .£BOO. Th( brick building, which, is the property oi Mrs. Dotraos, and was practically undamaged, is covered by a risk held by tht New Zealand oflico. The laundry shop was also badly damaged, and tho plant destroyed. The proprietor is Mr. B. Frey, who had no insurance on his. goods. Mr. Archer desires to heartily thank all those friends who rendered assistance at tho firo yesterday.