A DISASTROUS FIRE

Evening Star, Issue 16987, 8 March 1919, Page 6

A DISASTROUS FIRE

AT PBEJMISES OF BTCROFT, LTD. BISOTJIT FACTORY DESTROYED. LPeb Untted Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 8. Fire was discovered at 1 o'clock this morning on the premises of Bycroft,_ Ltd., flour millers, in Shortland street, in the rear portion of the building which escaped the conflagration of February 6, which caused damage estimated at £15,000. Tho fire this morning completely gutted the biscuit factory and completed the ruin of the entiro block from Shortland street to Chancery street. The machinery and stock were totally destroyed. LARGE STOCK: OF FLOUR AND BISCUITS BURNT : A HEAVY LOSS. . AUCKLAND, March 8. The night staff were at work in the basement when shortly before 1 o'clock smoko wa,s noticed. The fire soon had a_ firm, grip of both the upper floors. The brigade woro quickly on the spot. By a quarterpast 1 tho fire had enveloped both upper storeys at the back. Tho front portion of the building had largely been gutted by the previous outbreak, but the other portions of tho premises were practically unaffected. Before half-past 1 tho flames had broken through tho roof and were burning fitfully. A large volume of smoke and steam was' rolling up with sj>arks freely intermingled. The roof fell in about 1.15 a.m., a large portion resting on the second floor, which was tho only Boor remaining firm. About a quarter of an hour later the second floor collapsed. The firemen by 2 a.m. were able to qnell the flames. After inspection, tho superintendent of the brigade stated that the fire must have started near the middle of the building and had spread out on every side. All the centre of the premises was gutted. Very large quantities of flour and biscuit. 1 : were in store. Everything was stroyedTHH INSURANCES. AUCKLAND, Mach 18. _ The insurances on Messrs Bvcroft's premises was £48,000 in the New Zealand Insurance Company, which includes the loss on both conflagrations. The loss in this morning's fire has not yet been estimated in figures. [Messrs Fletcher Bros., of Dunedin, have been busily engaged in demolishing the front portion of the building previously destroyed by fixe, preparatory to erecting a five-storey reinforced concrete fjoar mill, and had also received instructions from the directors to prepare plans for re-modelling the biscuit factory which has now been destroyed. Mr James Fletcher has been requested to proceed to Auckland to di&cnss with the directors .» scheme for the re-building of the whole of tho premises.]