DAMAGE DONE BY FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19691, 18 July 1927, Page 10

DAMAGE DONE BY FIRE.

WELLINGTON OUTBREAK.

HEAVY LOSS INVOLVED. TAILORING ESTABLISHMENTS. HUNDREDS OF FROCKS RUINED. [EY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Sunday. Damage amounting to several thousand pounds was done by a fire which broke out m a two storey wood and iron building at 242, Lambton Quay at aboufy six o'clock on Saturday morning. The building is owned by Mr. James A. Doherty, tailor, who uses the top floor as an extra workroom. On the ground floor are the premises of Jays, Ltd., ladies' outfitters, where hundreds of frocks were ruined, and Adams Bruce, Ltd., whose stock of cakes was spoiled by water. The fire apparently broke out in Mr. Dolierty's workroom, which was gutted. All tho furniture, fittings and stock were destroyed. Tho workroom is over the front portion of both shops on the ground floor, but does not extend over the back portion.

Very little damage by fire was done to the ground floor, although the flames broke through tho roof at the front of Jays, Ltd. * Here, however, the water wrought havoc, spoiling hundreds of frocks that were hanging there. The damage to the stock and fittings must run into over £4OOO, but the loss will be compensated for to a large extent by a policy iur £2900 in the Prudential Office. A further policy for £l3O in the same office is held on the fixtures and fittings. The proprietor of Jays, Ltd., is Miss Ada Blackmore.

The stock and fittings of Messrs. Adams Bruce, Ltd., are insured for £l5O in the Royal Office, and the firm's loss is estimated at about £IOO.

The fixtures and fittings of Mr. Doherty's workroom were insured for £3OO in the State Office and for £SO in the Liverpool, London and Globe Office. An additional policy for £250 in the latter office is held on the stock in trade, which mclu led a number of unfinished suits.

The building itself is insured for £I2OO in the New Zealand Office. The dressmaker's establishment of Miss E. 0. Oldrey, on the second floor of the adjoining brick and concrete building belonging to Mr. James Hannah, suffered slightly as the result of flames bursting through the window of the waiting room. Two or three articles of furniture were burned to some extent and a quantity of material was damaged by water. Miss Oldrey considers, however, that her loss is no more than £ls. The cause of the,fire is believed to have been an electric iron left burning,in Mr. Doherty's workroom, and this theory is borne out by the finding of an iron "on the floor at the front of Jays, Ltd. PREMISES AT INVERGARGILL. MACHINERY AND CARS SUFFER.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL, Sunday.

A fire occurred at 5 o'clock yesterday morning in Messrs. Reid and Gray's two-storeyed brick premises in Dee Street, causing heavy damage. 1 The (lames spread through the whole of the rear of the building, including the implement department, but the .'front portion was saved. A large quantity of machinery and two motor-cars were completely destroyed.

The fire apparently originated in the portion of the building occupied by Parkinsons, Limited, electrical engineers, whose stock was insured for £15,000 with the South British Office. Their loss is estimated at £3OOO.

Messrs. Reid and Gray were covered in the National Insurance Office for £7400 on the buildings and contents.

FARMHOUSE DESTROYED.

UNOCCUPIED AT THE TIME

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PUKEKOHE, Sunday. A farm homestead in Tramway Road, Mauku, was destroyed by fire this morning. The house, which comprised four rooms, was unoccupied at the time. The owners of the property, Messrs. Walter and Samuel Hemsworth, of Newton, Auckland, last visited the farm on Friday. A neighbour, Mr. E. Gillon, noticed the building in flames on arriving about 6 a.m. The flames were then bursting through the roof, and had practically demolished the interior of the building, which was soon in ruins.