FIRES IN THE CITY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 105, 30 October 1913, Page 6

FIRES IN THE CITY

OUTBREAK AT STEWART COMPANY'S MILL. The City Fire Brigade lafct evening averted a disastrous fire. An outbreak occurred in a two»storied brick building, standing in the middle of the Stewart Timber and Hardware Company's yard and almost completely surrounded by stacks of timber. The fire was detected by Mr. Hutchison, a, mehiber of the company's clerical staff, when jretuvning to work at 6 o'clock. Hib attention was attracted by smoke issuing from tho roof of the mill, and ho immediately notified tho brigade, tho members of which were quickly on the spot. Smoke was then belching forth Irom every aperture on tho roof, but the doors and windows were securely closed, arid owing to this fact, combined with the absence of wind, the structuro. was not in flames. Two leads of water Wore played on the centre of the joinery shop on the top floor, in which place tho fire appeared to be located. Tho fire was quickly got under, and at 7.30 p.m. tho only things that were smoking wero a fow smouldering mouldings. As tho result of an inspection it was apparent that tho stronghold of tho fire had been amongst some mouldings which lay against the roof about 10 feot above the floor. The workmen left t«w» premises at 5 p.m., and when Messrtj. J. Hutchen and Wilsoh, director an '> secretory of tho company, respectively^ went through the joinery shop fifteen minutes later nothing appeared to be untoward. A quantity of moulding* and other timber wero destroyed, a planing-machine, damaged and tho centre of tho ceiling badly burnt. Other maohinery on tho flat and on the ground floor waa found to havo only suftercd slightly from tho eifects of water. The building and contents avo insured for £2950, the risk being jointly held by a number of companies.