A FIRE INQUEST.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14392, 6 January 1911, Page 3

A FIRE INQUEST.

DUNEDIN AGRICULTURAL HALL. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Jan. 5. An inquiry concerning the fire vlir.h desiroyej tne Agricultural Hall bondings on. the niglit of December i'L-'nd, ivus held to-day before the Coroner, Mr C. C. (jtrahum, at the Truest uf ihe Fire Board. A report by the Superintendent of .he File Brigade stated tlial when tho ongade arrived on the sec no the water pressure was very light, hut when tbo fciaurj Hill valves w«re opened there was ample pressure. He was not prepared to state tho cause why the procure was so poor when the brigade started, but such a state of affairs lind baoa noticeable at nearly all tho feres for some time. Thomas Harrison, retired schoo];u.ister, said it ra about 8.30 when he d scovereil tho Hie, almut the coruer of Water Street and Princess Street. Ho saw a (-unstable and informed him about the lire ;yid asked him to »ng up the I'.iv Brigade. Constable. Hwlock, the constable seen by Hnrrisqii, said he saw the bitter, about 8.44 p.m., and was informed there was a lire in the Agricultural Hall buildings. Harrison asked him ring up the station, but as Harriaxi was excited and witness could ice no lire, he concluded it was a faJse alarm. At S.:j;) he arrived at the police statue, nn,d informed the station Serge:nt King of the matter. Sergeant I'.ing was about to give an alarm when the lirebel! rang. Thomas Ritchie, of the firm of Waters, ltitcbie and Co., complained of inadequate water pressure, and Dav.d Runson, secretary to the Natioial iEieetr.c Eugineering Co., gave siuinir evidence, the latter also complalaed of faulty hese. William McCurdie, acting city engineer, gave evidence regarding the water supply. He said that if tl o Maori Hill pressure was on all n nut the reservoir would empty itself jnto others lower than itsolf. Tho only remedy was for the Fire Brigade to keep in touch with the state of the water supply at all times, and with ihe valves controlling the mains. If tho "Woodhaugh and South valves ?. ro closed there would be a. pressure on the pipes in the City tliat they ws-ro not designed to stand. Captain Mitchell said that was the whole stability >if the mains.

In giving his decision the CorD-i?r said there was no evidence as -o the origin of the lire. It was extraordinary that it should have, been ! uhti.ig so long before it was discovered, '.;-ith people actually on the premises. It was regrettable 'that there had been .» slight delay in notifying the Brigs.de. He thought Constable Havelock committed an error of judgment in not notifying the Brigade immediately hi heard of the fire. The evidence did not lead him to think the hose r.ud other apparatus was in anything but good order. It appeared that the water pressure at the start was iot sufficient, and this matter sho.dd be gone into very carefully by the W.i-fir -Department and Fire Brigade, tj see if a recurrence of inadequate pressoie could be prevented.