THE AUCKLAND GOODS SHED FIRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 10

THE AUCKLAND GOODS SHED FIRE.

Auckland,, November 30. '

The manner in which goocte are sent on board ships is shown by the fact fcbafc several demijohns of pure nilric and sulphuric acid were found amongst the salvage at the fire of the goods shed on the whar 1 "'. The case of nitric acid seemed only to have been marked "Glass, with care." Apparently there was nothing else to show the contents were not such as should be packed away with mi<cellane»U3 mcchandise. A quantity of aci 1 was also stored en the wharf outside the Bhedf, and some bottles Cim.'i got broken yesterday w-re promptly thrown overboard. Tais has g'vea rise to tho thought that acids mity have had something to do with causitig the fire in' the fi-st instance. It is a difficult mj.tter.to ascertain the actual loss to Auckland mi rchants by the fire. Tne list continues ttcadily to increase. Some strong opinions arc expressed by losers io. the ficfii at the apparent injustice of baviug paid duty upon some of • the goods, and thus increased their loss, although the articles were never actually received. This seems all the harder because those importers who had not paid Tuby have of touwe escaped additional los«. It was thought that under the circumstaucej the Government should refund the duty already paid. Mr Ro3e, the local collector of customs, when .approached upon the matter, said, as a mitter of equity, he thought it fair to refund, but before giving bis ruling he telegraphed to Wellington, and received the following reply : — "No authority for refunding duty on gcoSs destroyed by lice. ' When railway examination shed ab -Dunedin turned' down' a few years ago Government refused' (o refund." A * special meeting of tha Harbour Board is called -for „ Thursday to 1 decide as to the reinstatement of the wharf tee and sued?. Tb.% Hai'bDur Board have demanded' en inquest to investigate the circumstances' surrounding the late fire.

A' large amount of mining machinery which had been discharged from the steamer Rangatira Was stored in the shed, and piled at the centre of the eastern and western, tees. Portion of the machinery for the Broken Hill mina at Tairua was packed here, and it was indeed fortunate that the wiqd was blowing from the west. Had it teen coming from the opposite direction it would have been a difficult matter to have prevented this valuab'e plant from being considerably damaged. It is not yet definitely known what quantity* of machinery (if any) has been lost, but ib has already been ascertained that so far as the Broken Hill mine is concerned the greater portion of the machinery was saved. The Royal Standard Gold Mining Company, whose mine is at Wharekeraupooga, were also fortunate in having shipped & large portion of their machinery. Still several cases of machinery remained, but ths large air compressor was saved, also several smaller cases containing various portions of the plant. Some rock drills were destroyed, these having been stored in the centre of the shed, and thus sustaining injury which will prevent them bearing anything like the neoesiary strain. Some of the machinery in connection with the thermohyperpheric plant at Te Aroha was ajso stored in the shed, and it ii expected a fairly large portion of this has been destroyed or was losb when the decking of the wharf fell throrfgh, and this will have the effect of causing a- furthec delay in placing in position the new plant at ths Montczuma mine. The Haurnki Special Com* pany, whose mine is at Coromandel, had a large quantity of machinery lying in and outside tha shed. It is stated the value of the machinery was from £11,000 to £12,000, but, fortunately, very little of the plant was destroyed. Some of the machinery has, of course, been damaged; but, so far as has been ascertained, most of ifc suffered but little.

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