STRAND ARCADE FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14143, 19 August 1909, Page 6

STRAND ARCADE FIRE.

DEMOLISHING THE RUINS.

CONDITION OF THE INJURED. The devastated ruins of the Strand Arcade were yesterday the scene of some activity. Erstwhile tenants were busy at salvage work, and, especially from the lower storeys at the Elliott-street end, a considerable amount of salvage was recovered, which, if its commercial value was small, at least seemed to be of value to the owners. Several safes were recovered, and in eomo instances'their contents were intact; in each case they were in a state of partial preservation. The strongroom in which the papers of Mr. A. M. Myers and the Campbell-Ehrenfreid Company were deposited was found to hare preserved its contents in good condition. Messrs, Leonard and Harrison's two safes were opened yesterday, and the larger one, containing the firm's ledgers, cash book, and journal, insurance policies, and other important papers, was found in perfect order in fact, some of the documents bore no trace of having passed through the fire. A smaller safe, containing cash and a few books, was not in such good condition, most of the papers being so far charred as to be illegible.

Yesterday the contractor (Mr. J. J. Holland) made a start demolishing the dangerous portions of the ruins. Three or four dividing walls at the back were pulled down, and then the tedious and dangerous task of removing the top storey in front brick by brick was undertaken. The sight of men perched against the cracked and treacherous wall at a dizzy height from the ground was watched with keen interest from the street. Every precaution was used by the contractor and his men, and no . accident, occurred. Frequent showers of rain tended to increase insecurity of footing, and the task of the men, who had to pick each brick away with painful slowness, was not an enviable one. Only five men at a time could get foothold on the wall. Three men who volunteered for the work thought better of it. One went up the ladder, had a look, and came right down again. "It is better that a man should lose his stomach and come down, than his head and fall down," said the contractor. The work will be continued to-day. The top of the walls adjoining the Thistle and Albert Hotels will be taken down, and any other part the city engineer may direct.

The injured men, who are still in the hospital, are progressing very favourably. Thos. McPherson is mending rapidly, and John Brown and Neil Howell (who were injured by* falling debris) are also doing well.

The postal authorities have engaged premises near the Market entrance, in Wel-lesley-streit, and an office will be opened there in place of the Strand Arcade office. Most of the fittings were saved from the Arcade office, and the safe has been recovered intact.