FIRES.

Evening Star, Issue 15139, 22 March 1913, Page 1

FIRES.

SOAP WORKS AT W'ANGANUI. Messrs Gilherd and Sons' soapworks at Wanganui, with one of the. most up-to-date plants in New Zealand and employing J9 hands, was destroyed by lire on Thursday night. When the. (ire was at its height there vas a , ■ .],•••> dons explosion of what is supposed to have been drums of perfume. To those at a long distance the whole heavens seemed to bo lit up, while tins of fat, soap, and debris wore, scattered in ali directions. Jt is miraculous that no one was killed. Three firemen were thrown about 20ft, hut were uninjured. One tin of tallow weighing a couple of hundredweight narrowly missed hitting the tire, engine, and a group of firemen? The public became panic-stricken ami rushed madly a/way to escape the flying missile.;, numbers of people falling'into the ditches a,nd i creek near bv. Only a .small, pressure could be obtained from the adjacent creek, and the blaze, fed by 30 casks of oil in the upper storey and vats of fat and tallow, was tremendous. The brigade did remarkably well to save Scott Bros.' i'ellniouger'v and some of the stores adjoining. 'The outbreak is thought to have started in the top storey, hut how is a mvstcrv. •lust three years ago the works we're destroyed by tire. Although the insurances total £4,600, Messrs Gilherd say they will be heavy losers. The insurances on the stock and building aro:—Now Zealand Office £1 .000, South British Co. £I.OOO. Boval Exchan-e Insurance- Co. £I.OOO, Atlas Co. £.io?). Royal Insurance Co. £ooo Eniti-d Office £3OO, Suit Oflieo. £.'}oo. ' LUGGAGE VAX OX EIRE. On Thursday afternoon a luggage van on the north-hound Napier maiT train caught fire a. couple of miles on the l)annev,rke side of Papatawa. It was filled with luggage belonging to holiday-makers, and included motor cycles and bicycles. As soon as the tire was noticed the train was taken back ±„ Papatawa.. but the railwav sta.fi were unable to get. the flames under, and the contents of the vm were all destroyed. A bride on the train , s reporter] to have lost all her wedding presents, while another passenger had nearly £L'O in single notes m a. bag destroyed. Manv of the passengers were proceed big to Napm r to participate m the. competitions there and many heavy losses of expensive clothing are reported. Several do.>s were also burnt to death. Much of the luggage lost, was cheeked. Eortunatelv the van destroyed was at, the rear of Ibe tram, otherwise there might have been more serious consequences