TOLL OF FIRE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19880, 6 March 1939, Page 5

TOLL OF FIRE

TIMBER MILL RAZED

UP TO £20,000 DAMAGE

CRUISING CLUB SUFFERS

FIVE LAUNCHES LOST

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, this day.

Spreading with amazing rapidity over more than an acre of buildings, fire totally demolished the old-estab-lished timber mill of Messrs. D. Goldie and Sons in St. Mary's Bay last night.

While 30 police from the city and suburban stations strove to keep back the thousands of spectators, about 60 firemen fought one of the most spectacular outbreaks in Auckland during recent years. The damage is estimated at between £IO,OOO and £20,000.

In his rounds at 7 o'clock the watchman at the mill noticed an incipient fire in a pile of shavings tinderneath a hopper immediately behind the firm's office. He ran to the fire alarm less than 100 yards away, but almost, before the, glass, had been broken the flames were leaping 30ft. into the air and within 10 minutes the whole buildings were ablaze from end to end. Acre of Flames More than an acre of land was just a seething mass of flames, stated the watchman. Brigades from the city and .suburban stations fought to prevent the spread of the flames to the adjoining boat-building yards and petrol and oil bulk stores. In this they were successful, but the flames, carried by a north-easterly breeze, converged on the headquarters of the Victoria Cruising Club. While members of the club worked frantically to remove the dinghys from the burning pavilion, the fire destroyed five launches, including one untried speedboat, which were hauled up, and severely damaged two motor cars. After two hours of work the firemen had the outbreak under control, but the hoses were still being played on the flames at midnight.

Two firemen, a constable and a yachtsman were admitted to the hospital with injuries suffered during the fire. Five others suffered minor injuries.

The bulk store of the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Limited, on the opposite side of Poore street, was a main danger point during the height of the fire. When the firemen arrived smoke was rising from the roof. They immediately hosed the building and clouds of .steam arose and when an inspection was made the oil inside the store was found to be warm. By giving immediate attention to that quarter the brigade probably saved a still greater disaster.