BIG FIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 14 December 1921, Page 5

BIG FIRE

SOU SY9NEY HABBOUB FRONTAGES DAMAGE IUiNH TO MILLIONS (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright,) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) SVDNKV Dec,. .13. A. lire ;,,( the Pastoral Finance Asyoriatain si ores was one of the biggest, mo 4 spcctac-.d.ir, aieJ most dc, irucli 1 e in Sviinev's ni.".»i'y. 'liio stores arc ..-.itna'ted at Kirnbilh I'oiut and comprised six. storeys and a. basement, with ;, lloor spa.ee of between four and fiveacres and a. frontage lo the harbour. I.uekilv the building was practically detached', excepting the rear, where u. abutts' on the street hi which is Admiraltv House, the residence of the Governor-General when i» -Sydney, which lie is not at present. Admiralty [louse is separated from the stores by vacant land. It was threatened, but (lie efforts of the firemen and mr.al men front the warships saved it. Tim. fire'was discovered by employes arri.-hi" to stall work. The- llames then had a good hold. Tie building aopareuLly had been ablaze «iiio time and from' the- outset was doomed, the lire being fed by great quantities of tallow, iin/.cu meal, and other inflammable' produce, besides 32,000 bales, mosl.lv new season's wool. The firo spread with the greatest rapidity, and in a couple of hours was raging from end to cud ot the buini-

flre brigades and iirefioata mustered in full force, assisted by largo numbers of bluejackets from the warships and naval yard, but all they could do was to centre efforts on. preventing the spread to Admiralty House and the street at the back. In the latter residents mado a hurriod exit and removed furniture. Some houses were damaged, but the. llames were prevented trom spreading across the street.: Business people were flocking to the ctiy for the day's work, and soon immense crowds at all. vantage places watched the destruction progress, till the walls collapsed with a thunderous sound. The punt and ferry services were temporarily .stopped. ~,,.,,, I',, the freezing work attached to the stores a quantity of ammonia tubes were stored and, fearing explosion, these were removed at great risk by a party, of naval men. It- was a remarkable spectacle from the citv side of the harbour. Hundreds „!■ windows collapsed and tho city was (died with pungent .smoke from tne burning wool. . , The cause of the fire is unknown. The bulk- of tho contents belonged to the Association's clients who are heavylosers, though it is understood tho los«e<»' arc well covered by insurance. . No" reliable estimate of the damago is available, but a rough esUmatco f tho wool alone is between £500,000 and .0600,000. . , The firemen at first were hampered by a weak water -supply, winch only sprinkled the llames; but when the i're floats and naval men arrived vast quantities of salt wafer were played ,;,, the building. In view of tho dauger of tho flames spreading to surrounding structures a demolition party was on hand wjh gun cotton to blow up tho burning building. Although also used as a frozen meat store* if has now been ascertained that no meat was there at. the time of the that as all tho wool <l,.4.rovecl was of high grade i(. will have 'a big bearing on future pnc.es during the season.. Nino fire engines, besides lloats, fought tho flames, necessitating sending relief parties of firemen from suburban 8l Tho" nrc. which is still smouldering, raged for four hours. It, h estimated the lire damage will amount, to millions. BEVISFD ESTIMATK OK LOSSES SYDNEY, This Day. The Herald estimated that the lire damage is £600,000. . The Telegraph puts it at a million, including £400,000, the value of the building. v , The actual insurances arc not disclosed, but are roughly estimated at £4OU--000. , ■ , Heavv volumes of smoke are pouring from the smouldering wool and aro likely to continue for days. . The wool losses represent about, six per cent of the-total amount waiting auction in Svdney. The lunanco Association supplied a large number of residents of North Sydney with e cctric light and power, and as the electric plant was destroyed, the residents are robbed of supplies.