FIRES IN SYDNEY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4406, 12 July 1901, Page 5

FIRES IN SYDNEY.

GREAT LOSS OF STOCK AT HORDERN’S. BADLY EQUIPPED BRIGADES. c. t SYDNEY, July 11. Mr lu r-V estimates that stock to the value of half a million sterling has been destroyed. The total damage is not stated. The firm has secured the Exhibition Building in Prince Alfred Park, and will re-start business this morning. In the Kent street fire the premises of Messrs Lazarus and Rosenfoldt, general merchants, adjoining the Imperial Comtpany, were damaged by water. The fire brigades did splendid work at both outbreaks. The head of the department declares that they could have done much better, but they were sadly under-engined and undermanned. FURTHER LOSS OF LIFE. (Received July 11, 4 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 11. Four persons beside the man Clegg > perished in Hordern’s fire—William Dashwood and Walter Brett, engineers;, John Nicholl and Robert Malcolm, packers. (Received July 11, midnight.) SYDNEY, July 11. Their failure to return to their homes last night led to the discovery of the > other victims, Dashwood and Porett. They were attending to the engines in the basement of the building, and were warned to fle“. Two of their companions got out through a door. It is supposed that they tried to escape by a window, nob knowing it was guarded by iron bars.' In the meantime tho fire spread so rapidly that retreat by tho door was cut off., Nicholl and Malcolm were with Clegg on the upper floor. Tho fireman who warned them to flee for their lives had great difficulty in escaping. It is believed they feared to face the burning stairway and made their way to the roof.

Onlookers state that they saw a second man topple hack into the flames just before Clegg jumped. ' Preparations are being made 'to dynamite the walls. Horderns have heen doing business in the Exhibition Building all day. DAMAGE TO A SYDNEY, July 11. Another extensive fire occurred early this morning. Five stories of a sia-storiod building in Kent street, occupied by the Imperial Manufacturing Company, were' gutted. . , The building contained n large stock of tea and foodstuffs. The logs amounts to several thousand pounds. Considers able damage was done by water. THE INSURANCES. (Received July 12. 1.4 a.m.) SYDNEY. July 11. , Hordern’s insurances _ total £394,718. The amounts held in various offices are—t South British, £IB,OOO- New Zealand, £9968. . . , , . The insurance - companies involved in the Kent street fire include the New! Zealand, £3625.