FIRE IN CITY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 177, 14 April 1923, Page 6

FIRE IN CITY

WILLESTON STREET BUILDING ABLAZE TOP FLOORS GUTTED TWO COMPANIES LOSERS But for the smart work of the Fire Brigade yesterday morning, there would probably have been a disastrous Tire to record in a four-storied block of buildings extending from Jervois Quay along Willeston Street. The flames were, however, confined to the top storeys of the building in which the fire originated, although considerable havoc was wrought in the lower storeys by water.

Nothing certain is known of the origin of the tire. The alarm was given by a constable at 4.55 a.m., and the brigade was on the spot directly afterwards. There was only a breath of-wind, and as the fire burst throjigh the roof the flames shot up to a great height. Tlie building belongs to the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company. The two lower storeys are used by tho Empire Trading Company, and the top flats by the owners as a costume and cutting-out factory. Tlie fire seemed to be confined to the storeys above the ground floor.

Brigade’s Difficult Task. The brigade, using ladders, /ittackcd the fire at first through windows at the front and rear of the building, the intense heat making the taslc difficult. When the light materials in the workrooms caught, a great blaze went up, and the goods were soon consumed. It was nearly two hours before the fire was thoroughly under control. , ■ _ ' The fire alarm installed in the building, and tested satisfactorily a few days before, gave no warning of the outbreak. The power had been switched off, and the gas turned off by the Woollen Company’s employees; no inflammable material was kept on the floor of the workshops, and there were no gas fires; so that there appeared to be nothing to start the blaze. Superintendent Tait is of opinion that the fire commenced on the third floor, occupied by the Woollen Company, and broke through the ceiling as well as the floor below. In the lower portion of. the building, the Empire Trading Company had a bond in which were stored four hundred cases of tobacco, cigarettes, and tobacco leaf. The Insurances.

The actual loss will be hard to ascertain, as the majority of the insurances were over the buildings and contents as a whole.

The gutted portion of tho premises (building alone) was insured as follOws:—London, Liverpool and Globo office, £2000; Norwich Union office, £1000; Atlas office, £1000; The insurances over the whole of the buildings and contents were as follow i—Alliance, £3000; Atlas, £15,000 ; Australian Alliance, £7000; British Traders, £3000; Commercial Union £3OOO ; Guardian, £3OOO ; London and Lancashire, £6000; Liverpool, London, and Globe, £27,200; N.Z. Insurance Co., £7000; State Fire, £2000; Norwich Union, £5000; Northern Insurance Co., £2000; Ocean Accident, £2000; Phoenix, £3000; Queensland, £4000: Royal, £4000; South British, £13,000; Royal Exchange, £6000; Standard, £11.000; Yorkshire, £6000; total, £132,210.

Protect vour Home or Business against the fire fiend by installing the “Underwriters’ Firo . Extinguisher. ’ Always ready for action. Throws a 50ft. Stream—can be turned on and elf at will. Smothers fire 40 times better than water. No Explosive action. No acid damage. R. P. M. Manning and Co., 5 Bedford Row, Christchurch. —Advt.