A BIG BLAZE

Grey River Argus, 21 June 1913, Page 3

A BIG BLAZE

CHEMICAL WORKS DESTROYED. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, June 20. Kempthorne and t'rosser's • extensive chemical manure works at Westfield were destroyed by fire early this morning. The men employed on the, night shift had only left the wodes for supper 5 minutes when the building was seen enveloped in flames. The building contained a. valuable plant and valuable stock. The cause of the fire is a.' mystery. ' . : The Westfield fire mada a brilliant spectacle. The conflagration was at its height between 2 and 3 a.m. The roofs fell in. with a, succession of crashes, and the sound of falling beams, machinery, etc., came frequent ly from within. Several railway trucks standing on a siding caught fire. They were filled with manure. • ■ ■ - / Little coukl be done to save them and they were destroyed. An alarming d3velopmem was the- extension of the fire to the tallowvv ats of- Helln.by's Ltd.. adjoining the manure works. The vat structure gave way and a bisr volume of hot liqu'd and 'n.l'ow i'-n---un-dated thp vic'nitv. and poured fraely do"'.n t'nn. rnilwavline. - : Hellaby's loss is estimated at £1000. j ,