POLICE INVESTIGATE BIG WOOL STORE FIRE IN WELLNGTON

Grey River Argus, 2 November 1948, Page 3

POLICE INVESTIGATE BIG WOOL STORE FIRE IN WELLNGTON

WELLINGTON, Nov. 1

The investigations into the fire in Levin’s wool store over Saturda night have been handed over to the police, Superintendent Woolley of the Wellington Fire Brigade stated to-day. “They will make a full inquiry into the fire and one or two ' other things,” he said. “The cause of the fire has not been ascertained. It developed in an inexplicable manner. I have been up to Kaiwarra this morning and I hav'e come to some conclusions, which I will be presenting in my report to the Fire Boahid.” iMr Woolley added that the automatic alarm installed in the building was set to go off at 150 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature generated by only a small fire, yet when the first machine arrived at the fire only four minutes later the out-break had reached brigade-call condition. Superintendent J. Dempsey, offi-cer-in-charge oFthe Welington police said to-day that the collecting yesterday by detectives of certain charred and other debris was a precautionary measure in case an inquiry was instituted. This was usually done in the case of a large fire.'

Wool Fully Insured

.WELLINGTON, Nov. 1. The 2500 bales of wool destroyed in Saturday night’s fire at Levin’s wool store were insured for their full value of approximately £lOO,OOO ard the building for £40,000. Almost all the wool destroyed was new season’s clip recently brought into the store. Being fully insured the' growers concerned would get full value for the wool, it stated to-day. It was not thought that anything would be salvaged, said the managing director of Levin and Company, Mr John Duncan, to-day. He added that the major loss was’ in wool, although there were a few hides anl skins in the building. As yet the office safes have been too hot to open, but it hoped that the records inside will be intact Many of the records were duplicated in the head office so that their loss would not be a great handicap.

The firm had two other stores in Wellington but as a result of the fire no slipes of wool coudl be handled as the equipment to dump the bales had been destroyed. The whole building would have to be demolished, said Mr Duncan, adding that his firm greatly appreciated offers of assistance from all other stock and station agents. The wool store was first built in 1913.

Twelve railway trucks loaded with wool for Levin and Company were burnt during the fire. The trucks arrived at Kaiwarra on Saturday morning and were shunted on to a siding running into the centre of the store. The wool would have been unloaded this morning.