LARGE FACTORY FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20113, 26 November 1928, Page 8

LARGE FACTORY FIRE.

COSTUME COMPANY'S LOSS.

ESTIMATED DAMAGE £14,000.

RAPID SPREAD OF FLAMES.

SAMPLES AND STOCK BURNED,

Damage estimated at over £14,000 resulted from a lire which swept rapidly through the wooden two-storied building of liic Manchester Costume Company, Limited, in Kuril Street, off Erlen Terrace. shortly after 11.30 on Saturday morning. The machinery and stock valued by Mr A. F. McArthur, mnnag-inp-direclor, at £2500 and at least £5,500 respectively, were almost entirely destroyed. while it is estimated the build, ing suffered to tho extent of about £2OOO. The employees, numbering about 50, had ceased work and left the premises by 10.45, with the exception of Mr. 11. Winters and two other executive members of tho firm, who remained behind until shortly after 11 o'clock. The electric power throughout the building wan turned off and everything appeared to bo in order. About 20 minutes later &moko was seen issuing from the windows of the ground floor by a passing railwayman. The City Fire Brigade quickly arrived with two engines, but handicapped by dense volumes of smoke it \vos some three-quarters of an hour beforo tlia flames were finally subdued. Fire Spreads to Workroom. The firo appeared to have been confined in the rear portion of the lower storey, for the flames suddenly burst through to the workroom above, and m a few moments were belching forth from the skylights, accompanied by heavy clouds of smoke. From the bottom windows they licked up a side wall to tho roof until finally quenched upon tho timely arrival of tho brigade. The charred timbers of tho walls and benches and tho partially consumed beams of tho dividing floor made a sorVy spec. | tacle within when the smoke had disappeared and the brigade had finished its work. Any of the new season's samples and slock, housed on tljo lower floor, which had escaped the flames, had been destroyed by water. Tho floor was strewn with a watery mass of debris. Tho walls of the engine-room, containing an electric dynamo and switchboard, were entirely consumed. A twisted heap of wire and ironwork was all that remained of tho switchboard. The dynamo was completely destroyed. Details ol Insurances. On the upper storey, the workroom, tho effect of tho fire was hardly less drastic. Machines and half-completed samples wero destroyed, while tho now gaping skylights had shed their molten glass about the floor and benches. The iron of tb» roofing, although crumpled iu parts, suffered little damage. The insurances, ull with Lloyd's, wrrfe £IOOO on the plaiit and machinery, £BOOO on the slock, and £4500 on the building. Mr. McArthur, who was in Ilelensvillo at the time of. the outbreak, returned by car on Saturday afternoon and immediately rnado arrangements for the resumplion of work with all expedition. The new season's samples were to have been cleared by the end of this .week. A larga annexe which escaped damage, and a spacious rear room which suffered chiefly 1 from smoke and water, will be installed with about 18 machines, and Mr. Mc-' Arthur anticipates the employees, 40 of whom are girls. Will bo back at work by Wednesday. HOUSE AT BIRKENHEAD, OCCUPANTS AWAY AT TIME. A five-roomed wooden house in Palmerston Road, Birkenhead, together with the contents, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning. Tho firo had a good hold when first noticed by Mr. J. Scholes, of Rugby Road. There was no one at home, the occupants, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Lamb and two children, being away for the week-end.

The new night-telephone arrangement joining tho Northcote and Birkenhead police stations and the residences of the two medical practitioners 011 the one party line with Fireman F. W. Ward's residence, near tho Northcote fircbell, enabled Constable Bishop, at Birkenhead, to notify Constable Warneford, Dr. Dudcling and Fireman Ward at Northcote. The last-named received the call at 1.5 a.m., and immediately rang the alarm. A full muster of the firemen made a quick departure. The journey on tho motorengine occupied eight minutes, and 13 minutes after the discovery was reported to the police at Birkenhead the fire brigade had a good pressure of water playing on the flames, which were soon mastered.

The electric-power poles on the footpath were scorched and the wires fused.

The house was insured for £285, and til# furniture for £SO, iu the London and Lancashire Company. MINOR CITY OUTBREAKS,, NUMBER OF GRASS FIRES. Several minor outbreaks of fire occurred in Auckland on Saturday. Damage to a few floor-boards resulted from a fire in a shop at the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets, occupied by Mr. Robinson, and owned by Mrs. J. H. Hannan, of Remuera, at 1.30 p.m. Shortly after mid-day sparks from an engine started a fire in the inward goods shed at the railway yards. The only damage was to one or two packing cases. Grass fires were fairly prevalent. Shortly before two o'clock tho Remuera brigade attended one at tho back of the residence of Dr. G. L. Cawkwell, at 9, St. Mark's Road, Remuera. During tho afternoon the Mount Albert brigade attended three grass fires, two nt Mount Albert and ono in Onslow Road. It was also called to a fire among some shavings at the Mount Albert timber mill.