FIRE AT MAKAURI.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14987, 14 August 1919, Page 5

FIRE AT MAKAURI.

FELLMONGERY DESTROYED

A destructive fire occurred at Makaiiri last, night, resulting in the burning of the fcllmongery works and the valuable machinery, and nearly 800 bales of wool owned by the Imperial Government, a few bales having been salved; The works were the property of Messrs. W. H. Smith, A. R. Smith., and J. Slight-, and the premises comprised three long rooms and adjacent yards. Tho staff ceased work about 4.45 p.m.; Mr. W. H. Smith made his usual inspection of the premises, and left about 15 minutes later, being satisfied everything was in order. For the past 12 months he had not employed a. nightwatchman, but had an employee sleeping in a shed alongside the works.- Yesterday afternoon the employee came., .to town to have his horse shod, and stayed in town at night in order to attend the Te Koas' concert. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (senr.) came to town also.

The fire was first noticed by Messrs. Clare, Haisman, and Flaherty, residents in the vicinity, about 8.30 p.m. They formed a band of willing helpers, and endeavored to quench the flames with buckets of water, but "vvithout avail, and tho flames spread rapidly. Miss F. Morrison, who '.was driving to a dance at Ormond. noticed the fire and J . being friendly with the Smiths, went into the house and telephoned his daughter in town, whence a message was conveyed to Mr. Smith at a lodge meeting> Mr. Smith immediately returned to Makauri in his car, but on his arrival could see that nothing more could be done. .'He jdaees the loss tovhimself at£3ooo,' and to- the Government at £16.000. -..:-. ... ,

The insurances pn the < building and plant were covered in the ' National office to the extent of '£soo on. the building and. £400 on the machinery. J.The buildinsr was erected in 1913, and extensive additions were made in 1917. There was sufficient wool in the works to keep them engaged till the end of the season.

, When a Herald representative visited the scene this morning .the wool was still burning. Mr. W. H., Smith said there were 424 bales in pne. part of the .shed. 33 bales of. scoured wool, in another, ahd 53 'bales in the sorting room......Theselots were in different parts of the building. He was perfectly satisfied the fire was not caused 'by spontaneous combustion, because he was continually in tbe shed, and when wool commenced this process it gave off an unmistakable odor Moreover all the wool in the sheds was periodically inspected and transferred to another part, and for that reason they 1 had just taken 53 bales from the large pile of wool for tho sorting room, and) these were taken, from the centre. When the large pile of wool bales burnt, the top fell over, and a quantity fell into a large bath pond some 18ft. square, and this was saved from destruction. Since the Government' commandeer th" mechanical improvements to the work.*had been very extensivCj '.and all this bad been rendered- useless by the fire. Practically- all the men employed by him ' (15 111 number) were . non-smokers; He could not- at that. ; time suggest the cause pf the outbreak. He estimated that the Toss to the firm -over; and above the. insurances amounted to something in the vicinity of £3000. •; The flare was distinctly"..' seen from town last night.- --What were large piles of wool yesterday are now heaps of, ashes. •