BLAZE IN STUART STREET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19196, 12 June 1924, Page 8

BLAZE IN STUART STREET

OLD LANDMARK DESTROYED OCCUPAXTS’ NARROW ESCAPE, BRIGADE’S SPEEDY ACTION. While working underneath a five-seater Essex car shortly beiore a quarter to 11 last night, a young man named 11. Brien, who occupied the coach and motor trimming works which bear his name in Stuart street, just above the Ootae n and opposite St. Paul’s Cathedral, lighted a match to look for a nut which had been dropped, and set fire to the petrol in the carburettor. He and an assistant who was with him had barely time to escape from underneath when the oil in the petrol tank ignited and in a moment the car was ablaze and the buildipg—an old wooden one —had caught fire. The two men then found that they wore still in grave danger, for the door had jammed, and it was only after a great deal of difficulty that they escaped. Fed by the petrol and other inflammable material the flames speedily hiid the whole of the interior in their embrace, and burst through the front windows, leaping high into the air and sending up sparks, cinders, and columns of black smoko, A targe crowd gathered, and until the fire engines arrived at 10 minutes to 11, were treated to a spectacular scene. The heat at first was so intense that the lire could be viewed only from the opposite side of the street, and the Stuart street car was held up for a period. The adjoining buildings—a Chinese laundry and an old two-storeyed wooden structure—appeared to tie in grave danger during the tarly stages of the lire, but when the two leads of hose were turned on their safety was practically assured, for the job was well handled by the firemen, who had the flames under control in a remarkably short time. Indeed, it looked for a while as if the fire was going to spread, but fortunately this was not the case, and Superintendent Napier and Deputy-superin-tendent Salmon are to be commended on the valuable work they and their men did in protecting the neighbouring business premises. A small boot-repairing business m the same promisee, which was conducted by Mr Clark, also suffered injury, and the boots, which had been left for repairs, were damaged by fire and water. The insulated wires conveying electric power in the vicinity of the burning promises were destroyed, and, as a result the light was cut off from a block of Stuart street residences. A breakdown gang was despatched at a late hour to effect repairs. The building, which is owned by Mrs Stenhouse, is insured in the National Insurance Company, but the amount was not available last night. The Essex car which was owned by Mr brien, was insured for £350 in the insurance Office of Australia, and the contents of the building, which were also owned by Mr Brien, were insured for £195 in the Southern Union General Insurance Company. An outbreak occurred in the same premises about 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 6 last, when considerable damage was done to the interior, though the structural damage was not very serious. FIRE AT LAWRENCE. MERCHANTS’ PREMISES GUTTED. Between 12 and 1 o’clock yesterday a fire broke out in the premises of Messrs Herbert and Co. (Ltd.), general merchants, Ross place, Lawrence, and, as the shop was closed for the lunch hour, the fire had a strong hold before it was discovered. The Fire Brigade was promptly on the scene, and with two leads of water succeeded in extinguishing the flames. The stock and building, which were seriously damaged by fire and water, were insured with the New Zealand Insurance Co. . Mr R. Moore, solicitor, whose office is in Messrs Herbert and Company’s building, succeeded in getting out his effects, but the fire did not reach that part of the building. Mrs Clarke, whose premises are at the other end of the building, had her stock of fruit and confectionery badly damaged, through hasty removal.