CH.CH. INCENDIARISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 5

CH.CH. INCENDIARISTS

FIRE PETROL STORES SPECTACULAR BLAZE (Per Preea Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 1. The most spectacular fire witnesse in Christchurch for many, years occurred about 11 o’clock this evening, when 15,000 gallons of petrol and oil belonging to D. H. Brown and Son, Carylye Street, were destroyed by fireThe spectacle towards midnight was awe-inspiring, and a huge crowd gathered. Sheets of flame and thick columns of smoke shot hundreds of feet into the air. At the same time there was a noise like the battery of machine guns firing as the petrol containers exploded. Later, this noise died away, but at intermittent intervals, the ground trembled with the force of the explosions inside the blazing building. The most spectacular scene was when the main part of the roof fell in *Tlie petrol store was filled with oil on Wednesday afternoon. The whole consignment taken in totalled about 120,000 gallons, and this went up in smoke and flame. The goods sheds opposite Brown and Go’s store, were cleared in record time by the railwaymen. As soon as the danger was observed, the department call in all its staff and all goods in the shed opposite the fire were rapidly loaded into railway waggons. An engine was attached and the train was kept in readiness to haul out if danger threatened. GUARDS’ CORDON EVADED. . CHRISTCHURCH, August 2. This morning, the petrol was still blazing furiously at the remains of the motor spirit store of D. H. Brown and Co., which was set alight by incendiarists last evening. Suspicious characters were seen yesterday afternoon round several of the oil companies’ premises in Moorhouse Avenue. Their appearance aroused apprehensions of the managers, and as a protective measure, the guards on the petrol stores in the Avenue were doubled. All the guards at the stores were on the look-out for just such an occurrence as that of last night. Even before the big blaze, there was a motor patrol in Moorhouse Avenue, and the men were making unexpected calls to various buildings. In spite of this, the incendiarists must have evaded the cordon, for when the fire was discovered, two big doors in the building were unlocked although they had been left securely locked when the men ceased work for the day. Earlier in the evening, at 9.45, incendiarists also attempted to set fire to a motor shed in Milton Street, about a mile from the petrol stores, and in the same part of the city, but the flames "were quelled.

FIREMEN’S NARROW ESCAPE. CHRISTCHURCH, August 2. Fire bugs have now caused over £50,000 damage in Christchurch within the past three weeks. In all there have been twelve suspicious fires. Supt. Warner states that three firemen had a narrow escape last evening, when taking a lead to the south door of the store. A petrol drum burst out, throwing them violently backwards. - At the same moment, a brick £able crashed where the men had been standing a second previously. But for the explosion they would probably have been killed.

DAMAGE £12,000.

CHRISTCHURCH, August 2. Messrs. Brown estimate the total damage caused by the burning of their petrol store at £12,000. The store was covered by a policy of £2500 (Royal Office), and the petrol by a floating policy.

DETECTIVES REINFORCED.

AUCKLAND, August 2. There is a probability that the Christchurch detective staff will be reinforced by an Auckland detective, in connection with the incendiarism investigations. ‘ \