FIRE DISASTER

Evening Star, Issue 20720, 17 February 1931, Page 8

FIRE DISASTER

BLOCK OF BUSINESS BUILDINGS GUTTED SPECTACULAR SCENES £Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 16. The largest fire in Auckland for man.f years occurred to-night, sweeping a block of four buildings running from. Federal street to Hobson street. The buildings destroyed are:— MODERN SHOES LTD., incorporating the NORTHERN BOOT AND SHOE MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD., manufacturers and importers. LICHENSTEIN, ARNOLDSON, AND CO., gum merchants. WARREN ENGINEERING COMPANY LTD., mechanical and general engineers. CAIRNS AND WOODWARD, tent and sail makers. The fire burned for several hours,' providing a most spectacular sight, the names shooting to a great height. Ac the same time a big fire broke out at Partington's flour-mid iu Symonds street, the two raging together and taxing the resources of the Fire Brigade. The suburban brigades were called in to assist. At first it seemed that the fire would be confined to the premises of Modern Shoes, which were a seething inferno., Then suddenly the flames burst into the buildings fronting Hobson street, and soon the four-storied premises of Lichenstein’s were ablaze, and, spreading with amazing rapidity, Warren and Cairns’ were soon enveloped by huge flames, which were now burning fiercely, over a wide area. It soon became evident that the four buildings were doomed. For some time sheets of fire rose from the doomed buildings, the walls ofi which began to fall. The roar of explosions, the flash of the firs leaping upward, and the crash of falling debris made the scene terrifying. Gradually the upper hand was gained and tha spread of the flames checked, but nob before the fire had been burning for two hours. It is impossible to estimate the damage. AUCKLAND, February 16. An historic Auckland landmark known as the Old Windmill, situated off Symonds street, became a blazing inferno this evening when a fire which broke-out in an adjoining wooden garage spread to the interior of the mill, a brick structure, the lower portion of which has been standing almost since the birth of Auckland ninety years ago. Soon after the city brigade attacked tha fire its force had to bo divided owing to the serious fire in the heart of the city recorded above. For over tw.o hours leads of water were trained on the interior of the mill, where stores and a vast quantity of wheat were stored. Leads of water played on the roof, to which the flames rapidly spread, had small effect. The firemen were hampered in getting at the root of th» > blaze owing to tno fact that they could only direct the water through apertures in the wall mostly at a consider* ! abb height from the ground. The mill originally had four sets or sail, but there were only two at tha time of the outbreak. The fire was a highly spectacular sight. The owner of the mill is Mr J. Partington, who will probably be a heavy loser, as his stocks were uninsured.He believes the insurance on the mill amounts to only £2OO dr £3OO. Tb was impossible to inspect the interior late to-night, but it is. feared that tha machinery for opc ting the mill, which did not rely solely on sails, has been irreparably damaged. THE INSURANCES DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £IOO,OOO [Pee United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 17. The damage done by the two fires which raged simultaneously last night in Hobson and Symonds streets is estimated to-day as at least £IOO,OOO. The insurances are held as follows; —• Modern Shoes Ltd., contents £40,000, building £B,OOO, in the New Zealand Office; machine £330,, South British.Warren Engineering Co Ltd., contents £4,750, building £2,000, South British.

Lichenstein, Arnoldson, and Co.Ltd., contents £14,650, South British; building £12,700 (shared among Prudential £4,850, Guardian £4,100, : Ocean £I,OOO, New Zealand £750, South British £2,000. Cairns and Woodward, contents £4,850, in Phoenix, building £2,000 iu the Queensland. J. Partington, owner of the Wind* mill, had a cover of £3OO with the British Traders Co.