OVER 30 GARS BURNT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 56, 7 March 1930, Page 11

OVER 30 GARS BURNT

BLAZE AT PALMERSTON NORTH

(By Telegraph.—Pres« Association.) PALMEBSTON N., This Day. A disastrous fire broke out in the Ford Motor Company's large garage in Eangitikei and Cuba streets last evening. Although the front portion of the building was not seriously damaged, the large rear garages and workshops were gutted. The fire was most spectacular. A sensation was caused by a loud explosion of an acetone welding gas container, windows in- the vicinity being broken. It \was reported that twenty-seven second-hand and seven new cars were destroyed. The water pressure was only 501b to the square inch, and it dropped to 261b at midnight, by which time the blaze was completely under control. The outbreak was noticed at about 9,30 p.m., when workmen in front of the garage heard the crackling of flames. Bushing to the panel-beating department, they found it a mass of flames, which spread with alarming rapidity, and when the brigade arrived it was a raging inferno. In tho early stages of the1 fire one of the onlookers, Mr. W. Duckworth, was injured by falling' debris. ■ His head was badly cut, necessitating medical attention. J. Reid, the garage worker who discovered the outbreak, was very badly burned on the left hand. '. When the flames began to creep through the roof of Bruce and Bai's premises 70 motor-cycles in the building were run out into the street. Here also the flames were prevented from "spreading. None of the owners of shop premises in this portion of Cuba street suffered severe damage. Stacks of timber at the rear of Mansori and Barr's building were destroyed. Considering the building was in the heart of the business area, and was almost surrounded by two-storied business premises, the damage "might have been much greater. On one side of the building is the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile store. Had the ■ flames Bpread to this building disaster would have resulted as it contained eight tons of benzine and four tons of kerosene. The building is owned by Bett and Bailejr estate. Ford Motors have a floating policy on the cars.