THE STABLE FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15900, 24 April 1915, Page 7

THE STABLE FIRE.

ESTIMATING THE DAMAGE. LOSS OF 225 HORSES. INSURANCES v TOTAL £12,800. MANY MEN OFT OF WORK. The number of horses lost in the destruction of the stables in Parnell belonging to Messrs. J. J. Craig, Limited, on Thursday evening, i„ now estimated at 225. The value of tlio property is assessed at £11,700 more than the total amount of the inmrar.ee policies. Little more than half the estimated value of the property that has been destroyed is c , „.,.,.<! by insurance. The firm Las three polices with the New Zealand Insurance Company, comprising £5000 on the building, £1500 on fodder, and a third of £2000 covering fodder, harness and equipment. A policy with the Royal Insurance Company gives a maximum over on the horse* of £5700. It affords a security of up to £25 on each horse, and cs a!, the animals wore worth more than that, the full amount will probably be claimed. The following table- shows the estimated value of the property destroyed and the amount of insurance :—

Value. Insurance. £ £ Funding .-. 7.000 6000 C°i? 8 v' • 9-000 3.7D0 rodder, harness, and eauipinent 8,500 4.100 Totals £21.500 £12.800 Rapid Clearing ol the Site. Large gangs of men were employed yesterday in clearing away the refuse left by the dimes. The work was continued through the night, and it was expected that it would be finished early this morning. During the early part of the day, tile sheets of iron which had formed the walls and roof were collected in stacks, and by mid-day the way was cleared for the urgent task of removing the carcases of the horses. The effect of the fire could tlen be fully estimated. In the northwestern corner a crumbling stack of chaff md other forage was still slowly burning, being retained by a portion of tbo walls which it had protected from destruction. Two rows of charred piers were all that remained of the main structure, for the timber which had formed the framing of the building and its internal fittings had been almost entirely consumed. In regular lines from end to end of the building were the partially carbonised carcases of the horses. Disposal of Horses' Bodies. Thousands of people visited the property during the day, and the spectacle enabled them to realise how rapidly the panic within the stables had been ended by the death of the horses. The teams owned by -Messrs. Craig, Ltd., formed probably one of tho finest stocks of heavy horses in the Dominion, and that portion of it which lias been lost, included many of the most valuable animals, some of them being worth from £60 to £80. Most of them fell in their stalls, and the many evidences of the fierce heat indicate that their terror at the flames did not last Jong. Apparently a portion of the building was not immediately enveloped by the fire, and some of the horses seem to have escaped by some means from their stalls, for at the eastern end were several groups of half a dozen bodies lying so closely that it seemed the horses must have; crowded together in their terror against' the wall, and there been overwhelmed. i Arrangements were made to effect tho removal of the carcases with the greatest possible expedition, and all the men who have been temporarily 3eprived of their regular employment by the fire, were engaged in the work.

Takes Out to Sea in Scows. With the approval of the district health officer, it was decided that the bodies should be thrown into the sea between Tiritiri Island and Great Barrier Island, the authorities being satisfied that in this manner they could be disposed of without causing any offence. Four scows were available for the purpose, and the carcases were being removed to these vessels during the day at the rate of a dozen every hour. Arrangements were also made that if this means of disposal should be interfered with by any contingency, the remaining carcases would be tent to Southdown for reduction by the fertiliser plant. The work was continued without interruption temporary elecric lighting being insta.led so that it could be carried on during the night. Last evening it had been decided that the number of horses in the stables must have been 225, but as some carcases were still buried beneath the debris, the number cannot be definitely determined until the last of them has been removed.

Forty Years' Immunity from Fire. No evidence has been found of tho origin of the fire, and, though several explanations have been suggested, none of them can be supported by tangible proof, as the destruction has been so complete. During the 40 years in which the 'arm has been in existence there has never previously been an outbreak of fire in any of its properties, and in view of the diversity of its interests, this record is probably unique. On the other hand, there is no record of so largo a stock of horses having taen destroyed by a single fire in any other part of the Dominion. Apart from the loss to the firm, the fire will be directly responsible for the temporary unemployment of a number of tho drivers and stablemen in the firm's service. Mr. E. A. Craig states that as the lost horses could not be replaced immediately, 40 or 50 men would not be able to resume their ordinary work for some time.