FIRES

New Zealand Mail, 17 September 1902, Page 34

FIRES

CEMENT WORKS DESTROYED

.AUCKLAND, September 15. A disastrous fire occurred on Limestone Island, near Whangarei, on Sunday, when the whole of the New Zealand Portland Cement Company’s works was destroyed. The fire is believed to have originated through the ground coal igniting. The fire was assisted by gas generating rapidly, and it spread through the works.

The morning shift was working, and had a narrow escape. Forty men have been thrown out of work, and various contracts to supply cement are incomplete. The scow Pukapuka, at the Cement Company’s wharf, narrowly escaped being burnt, as a strong southwest gale was blowing. Mr Cooke, manager of tho company, has received a telegram stating that the whole of the buildings and plant, with the exception of the smithy and a small drying shed, is totally destroyed. The works covered an acre of ground, and were recently rebuilt and the plant remodelled, the latest laboursaving machinery being obtained: The capital cost of the works on the island before the fire was about £15,000, which sum was expended when the rebuilding and fitting-up of the works was undertaken, so that the actual loss ■will not exceed that sum, unless the loss on unfulfilled contracts. and orders be taken into account. Tin. manager cannot yet say what the amount of loss will be, as some of the mills, which wero of iron, may not be wholly destroyed. -

The coal used in the largest mill in tho works, a rotary null GO ft long, was powdered and carried, into the mill by a fan blast,- and it is supposed the fire broke, out among the powdered coal, which would easily ignite-

The mill was working three shifts a day, and was then unable to overtake orders, while there was no stock on hand. Immediate steps will be taken /to reinstate the works.

The works were insured for £7300 in the'-‘Australasian' Alliance Insurance Company. This company retained £SOO, of- ‘the _ risk, the remainder being reih4 sured in varying amounts up to £SOO in the following offices:—New Zealand,National, South British, Victoria, Alliance, Standard, Guardian, North Queensland, London and Liverpool and Globe, North British, Yorkshire, Norwich Union, United, Commercial Union, Imperial and Phoenix.

NEW PLYMOUTH, September 15. An unoccupied cottage on Smart road, owned by Mr Peter Martin, was destroyed by fire early this morning. Thero is probably no insurance.

A house owned by Mr .Meyrick, of Wellington, and occupied by Mrs J. Connelly, was destroyed by fire on Sunday morning at. Carterton. A defective chimney was tho cause. The house was insured for £IOO in the New Zealand office and the furniture for a similar sum in the South British.