MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 103, 5 May 1904, Page 3

MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE.

FIREMEN INJURED.

EXCITING EXPLOSIONS.

HEAVY DAMAGE.

Pr««j Astociation* Electric Telegraph.

Copyright. Auckland, May 5

The large warehouse of T. and S. Morrin & Co. and the valuable stock of ironmongery was almost completely destroyed by Sre. The scene from the start was a brilliaqt one, and as the fire got a firmer bold it lighted up a wide area. The Fire Brigade got promptly to work, but had an herculean task before them. Though water was plentiful, and was poured on the building at a great many points, the warehouse was practically wrecked and the bnlk of the stock destroyed before the firemen got the upper hand.

When the Brigade arrived the flames were rushing out of every window on the top floor, and in spite of their efforts the fire soon spread to the floor below.

It got a firm hold here, but the efforts of the Brigade were successful in preventing the flames getting a grip of the ground floor, though the material stocked in that portion of the building was badly damaged by water.

Further back towards Coburg Street the building runs into two storeys and finally into one. In this portion the fire was thickest, and bad a grip of the building from floor to ceiling.

As the fire progressed the presence of cartridges in the building was indicated by a succession of sounds somewhat resembling volley firing, followed in some instances by showers of sparks. Later on there were series of loud ex plosions, showing that some quantity of explosives were stored in the building. These explosions threw up considerable quantities of wire, metal, bricks and other material, and several Casualties resulted, some of the firemen and constables engaged in the work of extinguishing the lire being hurt, as well as a number of spectators.

The fire was witnessed by thousands of spectators, and frequently the crowd would cheer and applaud as at a theatre at some gallant deed by a fireman.

Two men were detailed for duty at the top of the Lome Street end of the building. To the crowd looking oh it was a moment of great anxiety as the firemen were seen shading their faces from the fierce flames curling up in front of them. The tension was terrible when the men were seen to disappear below the parapet, and yet the dames were drawing closer and closer to the front of the building where they bad stood. At last their escape by the roof through a large door was evident, and then out from the first floor by a window.

About midnight the flames began to slacken. The adjoining buildings were practically out of danger an hour later. There was a considerable body of flame in the centre of the burning building, but both at the back and front and on both Bides the fire had been pretty well extinguished. At about half past two the central portion of the wall on the northern side of the building collapsed and some hundreds of tons of bricks fell with a loud report. Firemen Gladding, Ludlow and McMuley were rather severely injured, Fireman Ludlow suffering most.

The value of the stock and building is estimated roughly between £70,000 and £80,000. Probably the damage will run into £50,000. The firms books were in safes and should be got out intact. The building belonged to the Bank of New Zealand Assets Board, but was held by T. and S. Morrin, Limited, under a purchasing clause. It was valued at about £20,000,