SERIOUS FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 154, 27 March 1937, Page 10

SERIOUS FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH

Damage Estimated at

XI 1,000

FIVE ENGINES CALLED TO SCENE By 'Jelegraph—Press Association. Chrislehureh, March 26. \ M'l'ioim lire broke out in tlm premises'of Millers. Ltd., clothing mannfactnrers and retailers, at the corner of Lichfield Street and High Street, a little more than 15 minutes after city Shops had closed ou Thursday evening destroying or dan aging the stock and plant to an estimated value of approximately £lO.OOO ami causing damage to tile biiiffiing estimated at about £lOOO. 'Pho outbreak began in the workroom on .the top story, and, although structural damage to the building was not extensive, stock and plant suffered heaviiv Apart from what was actually damaged by fire, a large quantity of’goods on the two lower floors were affected by water. The proprietor, Mr. L B Miller, was in the building when the brigade’arrived. The cause of the outbreak is unknown. The insurance on the stock and plant is held by Lloyd's, the cover being approximately £70.0(10. The building is insured with the’ Standard Insurance Co. and the Northern Assurance Co. for £30,000. The firemen had the outbreak under control iu a lit He over half an hour after the call was received, but owing to the heavy stocks that were carried there was a great deal of work to do in the way of salvage. The ground floor was closed up io drive Lhe smoke out through the open windows on the upper and by then the huge quantity of water that had been poured ou the fire to prevent its spread had begun to seep through. Employees of lhe firm apd firemen had to shift all models on display on the ground floor showroom and then thev turned their attention to carrying bolts of doth stored on the second floor to another room away from the smoke and water.

Five engines were called to the scene, including an electric extension ladder. As this left only one engine at the central station, suburban engines were called into Hie city and stood by until all danger had passed and some of the city engines were able to return. Although there was a crowd estimated at more than 3000 at I tie fire in the first half-hour, there was little trouble in controlling them. A sergeant and four constables and two traffic officers handled Hie people without difficulty. The fire is thought to have started in the sewing-room of men’s garments and in there, as well as a plant of more than 50 sewing-machines, were many hundreds of trousers and coats in varying stages of completion. These are completely spoilt. The sewing-machines themselves were in many cases, badly charred, and each is valued from £lOO downward. In a corner where the floor was burnt through there was a new automatic electric pressing machine, the first of its kind in New Zealand. This was valued at about £2OO, and was installed only four days ago. Not far from it was a button-sewing machine, the cost of which was more than £lOO. and this had been in use for only about three mouths. To-day was turned into a busy working day for many members of the staff, who were engaged, under the direction of Mr. Miller, in reducing the premises to order and conveying damaged goods and plant to storerooms near the building. 'The block iu which the building is situated was the scene of one of the most disastrous fires in Christchurch almost 30 years ago. The damage then ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds.