DESTRUCTIVE FIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 21 June 1940, Page 6

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE

SLIPPER FACTORY AT LOWER HUTT

DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £70.000 FUttY COVERED BY INSURANCE •• • (.United Press Association] WELLINGTON. This Day. Buildings, stock and plant worth £70.000 were destroyed last night, when lire gutted the factory of New Zealand Slippers, Limited, at Lower Ffutt. The two engines of the Lower Ifiitt Fire Brigade were powerless to quell the blaze, watched by some thousands of people. The destruction of the factory will throw 320 men and women out of work. .*The contents of the building were mainly felt, leather and similar matftTais.'but there was also a quantity of explosive and inflammable materials, rielulose. glycerine and varnish and other compounds used in making the company's products. Shortly before 9 o’clock, the attention of a storekeeper at a little dairy nearby was attracted by an explosion at the back of the factory, and he saw flames shcot up above the roof. In a few the whole back of the factory was ablaze. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Tlit assistant manager.' Mr Kennedy, said he locked up the factory personally at 0 o'clock, and went through the buildings in darkness There was then no sign of anything wrong; and he was sure he would have c een any flicker of light. He expressed amazement at the celerity with which the fire ran through the building, though there was no wind, and the substances were not for the most part readily combustible: The managing-director of New Zealand Slippers. Ltd.. Mr P. Edwards, estimated the loss at about £70.000. represented in the total destruction of building, plant and stocks of raw materials and goods in manufacture. He assessed the value of materials and stocks at £40.000, the building at £16.000, and the plant, which was all modern, at £14.000. He said the destruction of the plant was a heavy blow at a time when it was extremely difficult to replace it from England. The loss was fully covered by insurance.