FIRES.

Mataura Ensign, 9 November 1916, Page 4

FIRES.

THE INVERCARGILL OUTBREAK KXORUOrS DAMAG'K DON 10. With, regard io the fire in Thoimson and to.'s pninisos Jn Leveu .Street. yesterday, the outbieak was liii-t- observed at U.oo a.m. by Mi \V. H. Trixjii, of the Railway JJ-eparj-meiit. who was on duly a.t the. Invercargil.l station, ami- who noticed! flame-is-uing l-ioni the skylights. Tin* lire bngad,' was spoed-ilyi on the scene to, •A n the 'Southland 'limes' .states, tackle one of the roughest, lire propositions which Invereargill ha. s ever w.itnocssed. The brigade was ably assisted by the members of the Railway ami Railway Workshops Brigades, 'i he presrsure ot water wa s all that, could, be desired. and there seemed every prospect, of the flames being held, in i übjection. when. alHiuf an hour after the .initial oud break, a new danger prei-entod i-tsell". I The front;, portion of the. budding i.- | two-sioieyed, as is also the .real' end. The lnaniifac.turing-roorii." however occupies the middle position and i,s only a single-floored, si met uro. The istnoke and Hames irom the fire entirely obscured the view of the high walls of thenar porton of the promises, oW the firemen would have noticed the two windows, in .the room almvo lire I Kind store, which overlooked ihe blazing nia-.-s which had lormor'y been the ; manufacturing-room. As it, was. (he I fire-fighlor.s- \\< re unaware of any openj ing in the intervening brick wall, save | the door in the bar-ement. which \\ v a< j carefully watched. Tongues of flame. I however, licked through the unsuspootI «<l wimlows, -ami. isoon the confectionery ! stoi'oi'ooin. iminediali»lv over (lie Ixind j store, ivas blazing. The impetus given jibe lire by the spirit uou.s liquors was ; almost, beyond dc-criprioii. and there i remaned, practically nothing j \':>v ihe brigade to do., other than to attempt to confine the conflagration to ! the precincts of .Messis Thomson and Co.\< establishment. In this the firemen succeeded, t lie on'.y ond-hle. damage done being a small hole which the • superheated iron burned in the sarking of .\le--i\s Rroad, Small and Co.\s adi joining roof. It- i.s stated thai- fully .'IOOO ca-es of whi-ky were -tored in Iwind. a!i-| that only some iVA) casewere salv<d in a whole condition. In addition, largo Christ maw sto<d;s of ■ other Honors were lost. Tho groceries ■ and, provisions in the free store wore all severely drenched, and t h.Ov-e of a perii-hable nature will probably be of ■little u-o. Apart from the actual loss, which must- be colossal. .Mhssiv, Thomson and Co. will. be greatly inconveniencedflirough the destruction of i'neir i>lani. The damaged building, ihe rear portion of which has only .been a shori t : nie erected, is insured jn the Ouardian Office for L'-lo()0. while the rstock is covered by a policy of C' 2-1.000 with the same company. It is undersiood that there were reinsurances. THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRE. T'KH T-Mcrrn i>nKS-« apsoctatton. ('HHisTCiinicn. Xov. s. A transformation \\-a„ effected af the Metropolitan Trotting ground to-dav in readiness for to-morrow's I rot i ing. Soon after daylight a gang of •!() or o() men were at- work clearing the debris of vesierdav's lire in the giand-iand. The - building was not quite demolished, and the big members' stairway will be in use to-morrow to convey mem hers and visitors io ibo front baiconv. The stand and furnishings wore insured for L'7'2oo as follows: —Huildln-i; Xorwioh I'nion. C'.'ViOO ; South Hritish C7OO ; -Commercial I'nion, £'7oo; Ro'val Kxehang'e. C 700; Ocean, C 700; National. L'7oo. C.inientis. .e250. An electrical expert, of high standing scouts the Idea that ihe lire was caused by tiny defect- in the electrical, installation. . . . .