FIRE IN ARCADE

Evening Star, Issue 18021, 15 July 1922, Page 3

FIRE IN ARCADE

DESERTED SUPPER ROOM PREMISES FILTHY. DAMAGE ABOUT £SOO. Filthy and insanitary state of affairs at the rear of what was a fish, supper room (till a month ago) right in the centre of the city were revealed as tho result of a fire which broke out about 11 o'clock last night. The outbreak began in a store room attached to a tobacconist shop occupied by Thomas John Brosnan at the ■High street corner of the Arcade, and rapidly spread to the restaurant _ premises overhead, which were in imminent danger of being completely destroyed. Indeed, there was the risk of the whole western side of tho Arcade catching alight, and also of the largo and valuable warehouse properties in the vicinity being threatened. Fortunately the City Brigade was quickly on the scene, and, although the flames had obtained a good hold, the firemen succeeded in confining thcm to the one portion of the block, ultimately suppressing them. The extent of the damage to tho buildings is estimated at about £SOO.

From tho store room, where it is surmised a quantity of Domino matches originated the outbreak, the flames shot upwards through the ceiling to the supper rooms overhead. In addition to tho actual supper rooms, there are four or five smaller rooms and a kitchen. The shaving saloon of Mr Brosnan and the walls, ceilings, and fittings of the upstairs portion were badly damaged. The shop and stock of Mr Brosnan did not suffer nearly as much as the upstairs portion, and wore not damaged to any considerable extent. The whole block is very old, and there is little doubt that had the brigade not been promptly on the spot a very serious fire might have resulted. An inspection of the kitchen and other rooms at the rear of the supper rooms (which have been closed for five weeks) disclosed uncleanly conditions, which in those days of plague scares, when such energetic efforts have been made to avoid tho possibility of any such outbreak in this country, the fact that such filth as was seen should have been- allowed to accumulate for even a short time is hard to realise. Although the hoses had been freely used by the fire brigade,_ filth survived everywhere, its accumulation having been materially assisted by the presence of almost a battalion of cats, which roamed in and out of tho various rooms. The rooms where food was served were certainly in fair condition, but the kitchen and those at tho back had not seen a broom for many days. A Greek named Constantine Souuaris ran the restaurant until recently, and at the time of thefiro three of the rooms were occupied by Victor Kallis, employed aa a cook. THE INSURANCES. The Arcade buildings, owned by the Dunedin Building Company, were insured in the Standard Office for £5,000. Mr Brosnan has an insurance of £SO in the ■Northern Office and £l5O in the State Office over his stock. Constantine Sounaris has the contents of his rooms insured with the Australian Provincial Assurance Company for £2OO. The tenant of the supper rooms states that they have been closed for five weeks, and that during his tenancy, when tho rooms were open to the public, the place was duly inspected without fault being found. Being now temporarily out of the place, he has been attending once a week (at tho end of the week) to clean tho premises. The cats were a necessity, he avers, ns there were rats on the premises of great size.