AUCKLAND FIRES

Evening Star, Issue 19045, 14 September 1925, Page 5

AUCKLAND FIRES

THREE IM QUEEN STREET DAMAGE £7.000 !N ARCADE [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 13. Two fires occurred in. Queen street yesterday' alternoou, good work by the brigade minimising the damage on eacn occasion. Tim first lire was in the Commercial Bank, a stone building, the outbreak originating in the retiring room at the end of the passage on tiio second floor. Tho caretaker had been engaged in cleaning the bank olheo on the first floor, and Attracted by the smell of smoke. Pour rooms at the seat of the outbreak vro.xo badly damaged, the retiring room being gutted, while tho adjoining office of Mr Ruddock, -sharebroker, was damaged by lire and water. The third floor offices were endangered, but the brigade obtained control in time. Tho second outbreak occurred a couple of hours later in the wooden premises right opposite tho Commercial Bank. Tho fire started in a passage outside tho offices of Messrs Bennett and Jacobson, solicitors, on the first floor. The rooms adjoining tuo passage were damaged by fire and water, and some goods in Hugh Wright’s establishment on the ground floor were damaged _ by water. The brigade made a brilliant save, for had the fire got beyond control the other wooden buildings on both sides would probably' have been destroyed. _ . A more serious fire occurcd in His Majesty’s Arcade, Queen street, at halipnst 12 this morning. It is understood that it originated near the lavatories adjoining the Chess Club's rooms. Tho top floor of the Chess Club’s_ rooms were completely' destroyed, with its equipment, together with the rooms occupied by Captain Gliffe (teacher of navigation) and Messrs Dan’s and Rogers (engravers). About £I,OOO worth of damage was done hy T water to tho Masonic Institute and Club, which occupy the two lower floors. FURTHER DETAILS

September 14. The fire in His Majesty’s Arcade at" 12.30 yesterday morning caused damage amounting_ to about £,< MWbuilding was insured lor wIo,UUU in various companies, including the New Zealand and the Eagle, Star and .British Dominions Company. The damage to the building is estimated at £3,(AW. The theatre itself was not damaged. The Chess Club sustained a heavy loss. Its policy in the Queensland Company will hardly cover its losses, llxe Masonic Club underneath was damaged to the extent of £I,OOO. It was insured for £2,850 with the New Zealand Company. The majority of the offices and rooms on the lower floor suffered from water. , , ~ The Commercial Bank buildings, in which another fire occurred on Saturday afternoon, wero insured tor £IB,OOO, divided amongst the leading offices. The retiring room, where the fire broke out, was gutted, and the office of Ruddick and Co., sharebrokers, wiis damaged by smoke and water, as were also the upper stories of the Commercial Chambers ; but the Commercial Bank offices wero not affected. A fire in offices above the shop ot Hugh Wright, clothier, resulted m the passage way, where the outbreak was discovered, being deluged with water, which leaked into some adjoining offices and caused considerable damage to the stock on the ground floor of Wright’s place. When the outbreak m tbs Arcade was first noticed smoko was issuing from the windows on the north side of the building. Before the machines arrived the llames were shooting upward from the roof. The fire evidently originated in the caretaker’s room and the lavatories adjoining the Chess Chib ou the top floor, spreading _on both sides of the corridor, taking in its onward march the Chess Club on one side and on the other the rooms occupied bv Captain 11. M. Cliffe, teacher of navigation, C. G. Sextie, surgical boot manufacturer, and Messrs J. H'. Davies and W. J. E, Rogers, jewellers and engravers. All these rooms were dost roved i with their contents. In fifteen minutes the flames wore under control, and by 1.15 a.m. the outbreak had been suppressed. A number of rooms on tiio top lloor, including those occupied by Messrs Miller and Abeam, woollen merchants, W. W. M'Coioip, land valuer, and J. 3f. Best, auditor and accountant, escaped only through the success that crowned the efforts of the brigade. The chief sufferer from the effects of Water was the. Masonic Institute and Club, occupying port ions-‘of the first and second floors, immediately beneath tbi3 Chess Club. Half an inch of water was covering the floor of every room in the club yesterday, including the lounges, library, ard billiard room. The green bair.e and cushioning ei ilie four largo billiard tallies has been ruined. In fact, most of the furniture ami upholstery will have to bo renewed/ The damage is roughly estimated at £I.OOO. covered by a policy of £2,850 in the New Zealand Office. The majority of the offices and moms ou the lower floors were affected by rater. The occupants include A. M. Loashv, chemist: the Equitable Loan ami Finance Company; bliss Johnston Trvire, hair phvsicinu ; If. S. Morrnu, architect; C. P. Gavegan and Co,, brokers ar.d financial agents; Mollor and Co., engravers: C. Russell, National Collectors and Trade Assignees; Mrs S. Col ledge, ladies’ and children’s haircutting parlors: the Grint Northern Land, Estate, and Property Agency; the Imperial Manufacturing Comoniiv of New Zealand: Miss Gwen Smith, 'Hrcssmakcr: 3. Preston and Son, tailors; and the work room and bulb store of A. Redes, chemist.

In spite of suspicious circumstances in all the outbreaks, there is no evidence that the fires originated in any ether than a careless manner; and the brigade authorities see no reason for demanding a special police investigation.