FIRES IN AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15938, 4 December 1913, Page 7

FIRES IN AUCKLAND.

INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED,

THEEE ATTEMPTS MADE,

(Fbou Oua Own Cohhjspotoiht.)

AUCKLAND, December 3. Another outbreak of fire in a large drapery third in five days—occurred in the early hours of this morning in the premises of Messrs Smith and Caughey. The fire broke out on the ground floor of the firm's Queen street establishment, and wu3 automatically extinguished by the sprinkler system stalled throughout the building. The first of the fires took place on Saturday night in the premises of Messrs Milne and Choyce, Queen street, and the second on Tuesday night in those of Messrs John Court and Company, at the corner of Queen and Victoria streets. A suspicious similarity in the circumstances indicates that they were all due to incendiarism. One coincidence is that in each case the fire started some hours after the premises had been closed. Strangely enough, also, the situation of the fire in each of the three shops concerned was practica J tical—on the ground floor, and on the lefthand side not far from the entrance. ..In none of the three instances was there any sign that tho establishments had been broken into, and not a trace was found of any liquid substances or material. which, could have caused the outbreaks. A theory has been advanced that some parson placed a slow combustion chemical pre- : paration in the three shops. It is, of course, well known that certain liquid | mixtures, if applied to paper, doth, or ; similar material, will, when dry, burst > into flame.

The fire at Messrs Milne and Choyce's establishments on Saturday commenced in the fancy department upon a table used for the display of lace and fancy goods. The glare attracted the attention of a , passer-by who rang up the fire brigade, and the latter _ promptly suppressed the outbreak in its incipent stage, but damage was done to tho stock on the ground and the basement by fire and water to the extent of over £60. No one had been m the shop between 12 noon and 8.15 p.m. (when the fire was discovered) except an employee who went to light up the windows at 6.45 p.m. Messrs John Court and Company's shop was closed as usual at 6 o.m. on Tuesday. • At 9 p.m. an assistant in a neighbouring, shop glanced in as he was passing. He noticed flames inside on the ground floor and immediately gave the alarm. The fire brigado again succeeded in quelling the outbreak in its incipient stage. This fire was found to have originated in the narrow space between ~ two adjoining counters in the men's department. No goods and nothing of an inflammable . nature had been left at this spot.' Apparently tho flames had started on the floor which is covered with oilcloth, and before they were suppressed had burnt through tho end divisions of each counter and just begun to bum the top portions. The damage done was only slight. . The third outbreak in Messrs Smith and Caughey's premises at 4 a.m. to-day has convinced the firms concerned that an incendiary _is responsible. The last fire started in a cabinet containing narrow drawers filled'with reels of silk and cotton. It was situated along the left-Band aisle of the shop on the ground floor in the fancy department, its back being in close proximity to a stall bearing a display of stationer}' and leather goods. A large hole was burned in the back of the cabinet, from which the flames evidently spread to the stall. As soon as the heat began to ascend to the ceiling one of the plugs in the patent fire-extingishiung installation performed its function by bursting and releasing a stream of water, which had drenched everything within a fairly extensive area below. Simultaneously it ran" the alarm in the Fire Brigade Station, and when the firemen arrived a few moments later all they had to do was to turn off tho' water. The fire had been automatically , suppressed. .Naturally, the big flow of •' water played havoc both in the fancy department and in the Manchester department situated on the basement immediately beneath the spot where the outbre'al] took place. The goods so damaged are valued at about £600.

The police are investigating the three fires, and steps have been taken by the proprietors of the establishments concerned, to prevent similar occurrences in future. Night watchmen have been engaged, and a close watch is being kept with a view to the possible detection of the supposed incendiary. '