QUEEN STREET FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19148, 14 October 1925, Page 12

QUEEN STREET FIRE.

A SPECTACULAR OUTBREAK. THE BRITISH BUILDING. SEVERAL ROOMS DAMAGED. QUICK WORK BY BRIGADE. A fire in a number of offices in the British Building, on the corner of Queen and Durham Streets, provided some excitement a few minutes before nine o'clock last evening. The fire was first noticed by a member of the staff of the British Hotel, which occupies the greater portion of the building. It was then well under way, and flames were issuing from the roof. A crowd quickly gathered in the street, and watched the blaze which danced merrily overhead. A slight breeze blew across Queen Street and sparks were descending in all directions. Firemen quickly swarmed up a ladder to the verandah of the building, but it was some moments before the hose could be got into a suitable position for action. In the meantime with a sharp crackling sound, followed by trie rattling of glass on to the verandah, two windows on the upper floor broke, and a Jong tongue of flame came licking out, and rapidly grew until it was rising seme feet .above the roof At this point the water was turned on. A drenching shower came down into the street as the water struck the front of tjie building, and in a minute or two the flames had disappeared. From the spectators' point of view the fire was over. A black mist of smoke drifting down the street was soon the only evidence of the fire. Another lead of hose was run in the front door, and in a very few minutes the water was turned off. The damage was found to have occurred chiefly in the offices of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Union on the top floor. Two rooms wore gutted, and a third was badly damaged. The records of the union were uninjured. A room tenanted by the Auckland Savage Club on the same floor was slightly damaged. On the first floor a room occupied by Messrs. J. Burke and Company was completely gutted. The fire appeared to have commenced there and to have ascended the staircase to the upper floor. Some damage was done by water in the office of Mr. It. A. Singer, solicitor, on this floor. On the ground floor water penetrated the shops of Messrs. Ross and Company, fancy goods importers, and Messrs. A. W. Robertson and Company, music dealers. The British Hotel Vas fortunately separated from the offices affected by a brick wall, and the only damage done in the hotel was due to water which penetrated three of the rooms. A curtain in one room next, to the brick partition was set on fire by a tongue of flame which licked across the front of the building from another window, but the curtain was quickly torn down. The'building is stated to be fairly well covered by insurance, but no details are available. The contents of the Hotel Workers' Union offices are covered to the extent of £l5O with the British Traders' Insurance Company. The building is the property of the Auckland Power Board, which purchased it about two months ago from Mr. T. Buxton. Plans and specifications for renovations were already being prepared. WOOL STORE DESTROYED. BLAZE AT KTLBIRNIE. [BX TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLING TON, Tuesd ay. A wool store owned by Mr. Thomas Josenh Bourke, in Wellington Road. Kilbirnie, was completely gutted by fire ill the early hours of this morning. Although the brigade was quickly on the scene, they found it impossible to save the building and it was not till ten o'clock that the outbreak was suppressed. The occupier, Mr. Michael Francis Bourke, had stored in the shed 300 bales of wool, purchased at the last Wellington sales awaiting shipment to London. It was to have been shipped by the Tainui, but, owing to the strike, despatch was delayed. The wool was badly darnaged. The origin of the lire is a mvsterj. The building is insured in the North British and Mercantile for £4OO and contents for £SOOO.