DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT PORTSMOUTH.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 22 December 1913, Page 7

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT PORTSMOUTH.

HEAVY LOSS

«T CJJWa-PEESB ASSOCIATION—COFT&IGHT. (Reoeived Dec.,22, 11.30 a.m.) ; / LONDON, Dec v 21. . The huge eemaphore. tower surrounding the block of stores at Portsmouth Dockyard has been burned; damage,

«everal hundred thousand pounds- The oils in the naval stores were destroy- ;; jed in large quantities. : r ' The; battleship • Queen ; Mary was threatened, but was towed,to safety. v : Th© rigging-house, sail-loft, and staff1 captain's offices were burned. :' A- .large force of naval men prevented ■<'':^he'fii^'''f;n)in; )ipread.ing'to the oil tanks. L Many interesting documents of Nelson's time and beyond were destroyed. Two of the watchers in the semaphore tower were lolled; "