DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19289, 30 March 1926, Page 10

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.

OUTBREAK IN A GARAGE. EIGHT CARS DESTROYED. MANY OTHERS DAMAGED. INSURANCES AMOUNT TO £50.000. [nr telegraph.— correspondent.] WELLINGTON. Monday. The calm of early Sunday morning was rudely disturbed when the fire brigade received a call to an outbreak of fire in the Dominion Motors, Limited, near the corner of Courtenay Place and Tory Street. When the brigade arrived with two motor engines, they found the flames already had a good hold in the garage portion of the building, in which were 54 motor-cars of varying makes, and nearly all new tars. As the fire was raging on the first floor, where it had started, the brigade s work was made much more difficult, as the only way of access was up the lift-well. In the face of a veritable hail of sparks, ladders were run up,, and two leads of hose, with a very good pressure of water, were very quickly playing on the flames.

It was only after they bad succeeded in putting the flames out that the brigade were able to see the extent of the damage, and the excellence also oi the save that had been effected. On the first floor were 28 motor-cars. Seven of these were totally destroyed by the flames, while 21 others suffered more or less severely by reason of the heat, smoke and water, and also from the sparks which fell from the rocf. On the ground floor were 26 motorcars. Of these one only was totally destroyed through burning rubber falling from the ceiling on to the hood and setting the car alight. Many of the others suffered from water and smoke, but not, comparatively speaking, to any great extent. Had\ the cars on the ground floor been as closely packed as those on the first floor it is safe to say the damage must have been considerably greater than it was. The fact also that all the cars had their hoods up saved several of them from considerable damage. >

What was . equally plain with the damage was the extent of the save effected by the brigade. They had succeeded in confining the flames to the garage itself. The showroom, which fronts on Courtenay Place, was absolutely untouched either by fire, smoke, or water. Shading into the garage was the stores department, in which were kept thousands of pounds' -worth of motor accessories and spare parts. The damage here—and it was confined to isolated parts of the department —was by water only.

In the words of Sir. C. J. B. Norwood, who is closely associated with the firm, and who was summoned to the outbreak, "It was a wonderful save." The contents of the garage was insured in the Sun Office for £42,000, and in the United Office for £SOOO. The building is owned by the T. G. McCarthy estate, and is insured for £3OOO in the Royal Office. SPECTACULAR OUTBREAK. LOSS OF SEED WAREHOUSE. DAMAGE TOTALS ABOUT 420,000. [bt telegraph.—own correspondent. I PALMERSTON NORTH. Monday. The fire which destroyed the large factory and warehouse of Messrs. A. J. Palmer and Company, seed merchants, in the early hours of yesterday morning, was a very spectacular one. The building, which was one of the oldest in the town, was soon enveloped in flames, the reflection of which lit up the surrounding neighbourhood for a distance of half a mile. The brigade received a call on the telephone at 4.10 a.m., but even before the locality of the outbreak was given, one of the firemen, who went to the front of the station, saw the flames from the blazing structure. The brigade established six leads of hose, being able to have ail approach to the building from two streets. Three leads were trained King and Queen Streets. /The hlfsat was terrific, and severely Hampered work of the brigade, who /were also handicapped by a low water | pressure. The , pressure grew gradually '[less as the briggde progressed. Close ati| tention was paid \o the surrounding boildUngs of wood, wkich were constantly threatened by the flames. On one side was an old stable bf wood, and on the ether was a structure of wood and 'iroUj ui\ed as a warehouM? for hardware by Messrs. Manson and Barr. l\ie Scouts' Hall, dilectly at the rear of the %e, was continually threatened, and one fiVman who inade |an attempt at salvage ws soon driven out by the heat. Danger V\as also present in a brick building containing highly inflammable goods which was nearby, but as a result of the work of the fire-fighters very little damage was done to the surrounding buildings. Fortunately the wind was against a spread, otherwise the whole block of buildings would have been destroyed. Considerable alarm was caused when a portion of one of the walls of Palmer's building fell with a crash, hung suspended for a time on the telephone wires, and then collapsed on to the roadway. While there was a great deal of grain and seed in sacks in the building, the stores were not filled to their capacity, and the flames roared through and quickly ignited other portions of the woodwork.. The firm's crushing plant at the rear was totally destroyed, while two motor-lorries of heavy design were also reduced to u mass of red buckled iron. A large number of drums of oil escaped the flames. In about an hour the brigade had the outbreak under control, and the surrounding buildings safe. A desolate scene was presented yesterday morning. There were piles upon piles of soaked and blackened grain, littered over the blackened remains. The firemen were still engaged in attending to the ruins. The right portion of the building was totally demolished, but a portion of the left side still remained standing. The origin of the outbreak is a mystery, although it is believed to have started in the rear part of the building. The insurances are not known, but it is understood that the stock was covered by a policy for £IO,OOO, although this will not compensate the owners, who will be heavy losers. It is understood that the total*damage wrought is in the vicinity of £20,000. In the last three davs there have been three serious outbreaks of fire in the town.