FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19971, 13 December 1926, Page 9

FIRES.

Only a mere shell remains of the Dunedin Engineering and Steel Company’s building in Willis street, which was a raging furnace after the fire broke out on Friday evening. Loose and bent sheets of corrugated iron rattled in the strong breeze on Saturday, and blackened machinery and debris were scattered around. The building, which comprised two storeys, was a comparatively small one. On the second floor were stored many valuable patterns, including the company’s recent additions to the stock. The bottom floor comprised the pattern shop, and contained all the machines and pattern makers’ private tools, and also a quantity of well-seasoned timber. The building was insured for £3OO with the Alliance Assurance Company, and the contents for £2275 with the same company. The Engineering Company is a heavy loser. It is surmised that the fire originated in the materials stored in the centre of the second floor. There were certain inconsistencies in the information furnished to us concerning the fire on Friday night in a fowlhorse on the property of Mr H. A. Salmon, of Clermont street, Dunottar. The fowlhouse was situated at a considerable distance from Mr Salmon’s dwelling, which is a substantial brick structure, and the insurance of £l5O covered four outhouses and their contents. The City Fire Brigade received a series of calls during the week-end. The first was at 9.55 a.m. on Saturdav. when an automatic false alarm was registered at the car sheds at Market street. Four minutes later the brigade went on a similar errand to the Rope Works at Macandrew road. On the next occasion, at 2.45 p.m., a gorsc fire on the Tomahawk road claimed the brigade’s attention. The blaze was quickly extinguished before it bad time to spread far. and practically no damage resulted. At 9.35 p.m. another automatic false alarm was registered, this time at the Phoenix factory The last on Saturday evening was a call at 11.37 to a threeroomed house in a right-of-way off Geor<re street. The building, owned by Mr A. Bolwell, and used a? a -‘-'•l'room, was badly damaged.