DISASTROUS FIRE AT MORNINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12600, 2 March 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

DISASTROUS FIRE AT MORNINGTON.

TRAMSHGD3 AND PLANT DESTROYED. THREE HOUSES AND SHOPS BURNED. TIMELY ARRIVAL OF DUNEDIN BRIGADE. TRAM SERVICE .INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED. Tho most disastrous Cro over experienced 111 the Borough of Momington broke out nt 6 o'clock on February 9r .esulting in 3 o'clock on Monday, 9th inst., resulting in the total destruction ot the Momington i Tramway Company's engine and car sheds ! ami plant, the engineer's residence, the ! police station, Jlr Grigg's residence, and i Weir's store. How much further down tlie road the fire would have continued but for : (hy arrival of 'the Dunedin City Brigado |it is impossible to say. It was just about 3 I o'clock when the fir& was first discovered, i but as there is in .Morningtoi! no means of ; giving a thorough alarm, the fire itself had ' to do its own awakening of the inhabitants. | When first observed the fire was located in the vicinity of thcilice, which was on the j side nearest lo Carroll's buroliery. Tlljs part of the tramway buildings is what is known as the exic-nsion shed, and is soino considerable dMance away from the engine room, precluding tho possibility of any spark-fiom-the-ongino-fire theory. The building was of iron", but thoro was a good deal of woodwork of erne sort and another in connection with' tho premises, and as tho firo had a good hold when noticed and no adequate lire appliances were available the flames were iiot long in finding their way into tho carhouse, whero they had a plentiful mipply of inflammable material lo work i upon. This consisted of two extension, '■ dummy, ears, four main line dummy cars, J two trailer car.-, and one coal truck. A i third trailer was loft outside the shed,there beins no room for it msido, and this was ! shoved out of danger, but got badly i blistered before removal. j The total losses, as previously stated, are: , Tramway buildings and plant, owned bv iln; Momington Tramway Company; dwell- ! ing of five rooms, owned by the Momington Tramway Comnany and occupied by Mr I Joseph Lowden, engineer: dwelling of five ! rooms, owned bv Jlr G. it. Grigc and occuI pied bv Mr tl." W. Grigs i dwelling of six ; roc.ns, owned by Mr G. M Gngg and occu- • pint! by Constable Pov/orj whilst Ml* Won 1 S i stork is totally destroyed, tlw building being j pnrtlv saved. i Tho risk on the. Tramway Company s pro- • prriy, including • boiler, machinery,- and tools, cic.. was held by tho Royal Insurance i Company on a poliey for £4L"O, of which : amount 53603 wiw reinsured as follows:— ■ Nationnl, £760: Norwich Union. £320; New Zealand, £320; Victoria. £350; South i British, £580; Standard, £350 ] Tn addition, the Royal had £200 on the ' ' office furniture and fixtures, £125 on Mr j i Lowdcn's private set of tools. £150 on the j dwelling occupied by Mr Lowden, and £IPO on his furniture; £300 on tho house occupied by Air G. W. Grigg, and £200 on the contents; £300 on tho dwelling occupied by Constable Power, and £100 on tho con-tents. The Royal Company's total risk was therefore £5735, of which £2660 was reinsured locally. The other insurances were:—£4oo in the United Company cn the store, and £150 j on Mr Weir's stock and £50 on his fnrni- ; turn,' the two last-mentioned risks being held by tho Liverpool and London and Globe Company. No complete estimate has yet been mado of tho Momington Tramway Company's | loss, but Jlr Kunson, the manager, roughly | states it at £10,000. ' Tho cot shed contents are given above, and the machinery shod plant consisted of three steam engines, a . gas engine, two boilers, and the rope-driving gear. A!! f his is a total loss. Mr Lowden saved nothing worth speaking of. He estimates that his effects woro worth twice tho sum (£180) for which they were itmired. Mr G. W. Grigg saved his pianoforte and some furniture. Consiablo Power went on duty and moved nothing, and his relatives had only time to get out a few ui.ele.S3- artic'.ce. Sir Weir's groceries are all burnt, and ho estimates his less as considerably in excels of tho insurance, whilst tho £50 on Ilia furniture is mot nearly its value. The total actual damage done by the fire wili lis about £11.000; but then it has also to be remembered that in consequence of tho destruction of the tram plant the Momington tramway service is simponded indefinitely. The Momington residents will be greatly . inconvenienced, for they have got now to regard the ears a.? a necessity, and tako very unkindly to the bitter fact of months' weary toiling up tho liill. The plant was erected in 1863, and in another mouth would ( have been miming for 20 years. It is a ( thorough burn out, and Mr Eunson ox- ; presses the opinion that it will be practically i impossible to have the tram m working j order short of six or eight montlis. The origin of the fire, is a mystery. Mr Eunson left the office at 4.30 on Saturday, and locked up as usual. There had not been a fire in tho offico for years. No other officer or employee of the company went ] to the office after Mr Eunson. Mr Lowden r lir.s a key to the office for use if necessary, ] hut he did not enter tho plitir on Saturday, j As a matter of fact, no ono connected with the company was in the sheds from 11.30 on Saturday night. A theory in the district is that thieves entered to ransack the office, and cither carelessly or by design fired tho' place. There are, however, no facts to sup- > port any such theory at preprint. If the ( place was burglariously entered, the mis- < creantsS had no chance of stealing money, ; for ca.ih was not kept there in quantity, ] and on this occasion, as it happened, Mr , J. .T, Frye, the company's clerk, took out | of tho safe on Saturday the only money | that was in it, amounting to ss. , As a direct result of the fire the tramway j employees, to tho number of 16, will be , thrown out of employment. {