BIG FIRE AT AUCKLAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 12 July 1915, Page 3

BIG FIRE AT AUCKLAND

! CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE j REPORTED. i (United Press Association.) I AUCKLAND, July 11. | Damage approximating £12,000 was ; done by a fire which broke out early on Saturday evening in & triangular block of buildings ; near, the Tbwu Hall "between Lorne, "Rutlamd'," andi l 'Wellesley streets. The fire originated in a three-storey furniture factory in Dome street occupied by Tonson, G&rlick, and: Co., and it had ! a good hold before the brigade arrived. | Soon after the firemen began to pour j water into the mas® of flames a water j main in the vicinity burst, and the water j pressure decreased to such an extent that i streams from ihose could not be thrown j much beyond the second storey. It is i thought probable that this allowed the ' fir 8 to spread more rapidly via adjoining. : back premises to Plummer Bros.' three- ; storey hat factory in Rutland steet. The ! firemen attacked the fire there, and buc- | ceeded in confining it to the top storey, ■ though the stock and plant in the lower j flats were damaged by water. The fireI men also extinguished the fire, as it was getting a hold at the back of one of the Technical School buildings adjoining the hat factory. Then, "however, the flames were found to hatve spread in the oppo- | site direction to a large three-storey : building next the furniture factory in Lome street, and secured a strong hold in a second storey used as an "adjunct to Plummer Bros.' hat factory. Chemicals and oils were apparently stored here, for the fire burned with great intensity. The firemen nevertheless saved a large motor garage on the eround* floor owned bv GW. Spragg. The last of about £IO,OOO worth of private cars had been removed only a. few minutes before. The third floor was unoccupied. In the meantime the inmates- of the Salvation Army's People's Palace and the Young Women's fSiristian Association's rooms in Wellesley street, the backfe of whose premises ram into the middle of the affected block, were making a hurried exit with goods and chattels. The back windows of these premises were broken by the heat, but soon afterwards the fire was got -under control. There was a fairly strong wind, and the fir e burned' for about an hour and a 'half. It's origin was unknown. Insurances: —Tonson, Garlick, and Co. ■(offices unJktaown), machinery £B9OO, buildings £3600; Plummer Bros.', Rutland- street plaint, Guardian £2050, Commercial Union £l5O, Liverpool and London, and Globe £1031; Plummers' plant in Lorne street premises, Liverpool and London, and. Globe £1250; Plummers premises in Rutland; street, owned by tiie, estate of W. Crowther, were insured- in the South British, and the premises in tome street, similarly owned, were insured for £2500 in the same office; Spragg had an insurance of £IOOO in the South. British on his stock, which was practically .undamaged.