FIRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6379, 26 October 1888, Page 4

FIRES.

HOBDAY'S CO-OPERATIVE STORES. OFFICIAL ENQUIRY. An inquest into the cause of the recent fire at Hobday's Co-operative Stores was held at the Provincial Chambers at 4 p.m. -yesterday, before R. Beetham, Esq., E.M., and a Jury of six, of which Mr Frederick Trent was chosen Foreman. Mr Holmes appeared by permission for Messrs Hobday and Co.; Mr Martin for I certain Insurance Companies ; Mr F. H. Barns represented the Insurance Association. Mr Holmes asked if any of the Jurors were interested as insurance shareholders or otherwise, in the result of the enquiry. Messrs F. J. Smith and George Piercy replied in the affirmative, but Mr Holmes did not object to them serving on the Jury. After the Jury were sworn they visited the scene of the fire. The following evidence was taken :— Francis Smith, called, said: He was assistant managerat Hobday's co-operative drapsry establishment. It was a brick building, of two and three storeys. The office and reserve room were upstairs, and fronted on Cashel and Colombo streets. They employed between fifty , : and sixty hands, the majority of whom e-were upstairs. The tailoring department ""was upstairs. A fire was always kept going -downstairs during the daytime, and one in an upper room of the corner building. The reserve stock room was on the second floor; it adjoined Sandstein's, and had a number of skylights in tho roof of it. They kepfc bulk sttifi and haberdashery, and reserve straw bonnets there. There were no arrangements in the building for extinguishing fire. They used no kerosene in the building, only fire. When stock was required for below, any assistants could go into the reserve room. It was a light room. Never knew anyone strike matches when going into the reserve room, though they might at night' time. All hands were employed on the day of the fire. They wero afc lunch. The dressmakers are away from one till two. Witness went to lunch a few minutes after twelve. Witness' position was below, and he acted generally with Mr Hobday. Mr Hobday took the cash desk when he went to lunch. Witness passed through the reserve room at a quarter to 9 a.m. Witness returned from lunch at 1.15 p.m. Mr Hobday then went to lunch. Could not say who wa3 upstairs in the wooden building at that time. Mr Hobday returned afc a few minutes to 2 p.m. Remained in the place up to the time of the alarm being given. Mr Hobday was about with him. The alarm was given about ten minutes to two, by one of. the girls. Witness looked up the well, and saw what appeared to be a mass of flames coming out of the match-lined ceiling. Sent a boy to give the alarm at Brice's corner, and sent a cab to the Fire Brigade station. In a quarter of an hoar the fire was all through the buildings. All the windows were open for ventilation. A hot Nor'-wester was blowing. Nothing was saved, the heat was so intense. The Fire Brigade was' a long time coming. New stock of spring stuff had just been taken in. Had been in the place about twenty years. From the stock sheets there was .£19,000 to .£20,000 worth of stock in the place at the time. Had no time to go upstairs to examine the fire, as he was too busy downstairs to do so. Mr Beetham said if there was no evidence as .to tha origin of the fire, ifc was no use going into a question of motive. Witness continued : He knew nothing of the origin of the fire. To Mr Martin : Tho reserve room opened on to a landing, which you croesed to the tailors' room. There was another entry through the office. The Nor'-west wind would blow from the reserve room to the tailors' room. r ihe furnace in the tailors' room was for heating irons. Colonial coal was used, with an ordinary fender. The men from the tailors' room were away at lunch from 1 to 2 p.m. To Mr Holmes : They ussd mixed Newcastle and native coal in the furnace. It was about three feet from the door of the reserve room to that of the tailors'. Elizabeth Hitchens said she was an assistant dressmaker at Hobday's. They •worked in the dressmakers' room on the top storoy. Went to lunch from 1 to 2 p.m., returning at seven minutes to the latter hour with Miss Collins. Went in by the Colombo street door, and straight to their room. Had passed the tailors' room door, when she Eaw the fire through the skylight curtains. It was on the far corner of the reserve room, next the office partition. It waa half way up the wall and pretty large when she saw it. Told Miss Collins, and saw it run across the ceiling. Witness ran to the stairs and gave the alarm, and called the head milliner. Saw Rome of the tailors, and went down stair 3 and saw Mr Fountain and Mr Hobday coming up. Witness ran out, and saw the fire bursting out through the windows. Witness never went into the reserve room, and did not see anyone go in. The fire was about 3Jffc high and a yard wide when she first saw it. Mr Pender put in a rough plan of the upper floor, showing the reserve and tailors' rooms, the skylight and well. j To Mr Holmes : It was five minutes from the time when she saw tho fire till she got into the street. All the old buildings were then on fire. Florence Collins said : Was an assistant dressmaker at Hobday's, and worked in the same room as last witness. They returned from lunch together at seven minutes' to two. They were by tho curtains of the skylight when Miss Hitchens asked her if there was "a fireplace round there." They then saw the fire. Witness waited a minute and went into the office, and saw no one there. Looked into Mr Hobday's office and turned round and saw Mr Hobday coming up the Btairs. Witness then went into the show room. The fire could noi have been blown round from the tailors' room to where she saw it. People seldom went through the reserve room. There was no fireplace nearer than the tailors' room. To Mr Holmes: It was after calling out "Fire" that she saw Mr Hobday coming upstairs. He looked at the fire, and then calling " Fire ! Fire I" ran for assistance. Thomas Karker, assistant clerk at Hobday's : Witness used to sweep out the reserve room in the morning 1 . There was no fireplace in the room. Swept out the room a few minutes after eight o'clock. Opened the large window next Sandstein's. It was blowing. Do not think there was any chimney near the window. Worked in the office, where he had a view of tho entrance to the reserve room. Went away afc one o'clock. Do not remember seeing anyone going- into the reserve room. On Saturday night, if they wanted to go into the reserve room they lighted the gaa with a taper. Never examined tho chimney going up from the tailors' room. Left Taylor, one of the other assistants, in the room when he went to lunch. All appeared right then. Taylor was waiting for Mr Meadows, tho Secretary, to come back. To Mr Holmes : There were plenty of rats in. the buildings. To a Juror: Used no brown paper to do away with the smell of a deadest, which lie noticed. Frederick H.Maadowa: Was Secrotary to the Company. Wont to lunch about twelve, and retained a little after on«. At twenty-five minutes to two, Mr Hobday came up into tho office, and witness left the building. By a mutual understanding, Mr Hobday kept an eye on the office when he was out. The alarm was given when witne3a waa in the Official Assignee's ofiice. Ie wao a hot, windy and uncomfortable day. There was no fire- ! place in his room. Could account in no j way for the fire. There was no smoking in I the building. A spark might possibly j have been blown in. Net curtains and tablecloths hung around the wall, which was ventilated by a fanlight. To Mr Holmes: Those things generally hang round the welL To Mr Trent^r The stock -which had just -come in was worth .£6OO or JB7OO. Had .since the fee gone into the -value o£ the . istock; -which lie had. no doubt'was worth-■-^rafcweett'^Bo%Oooj«ad^B3ojCQO,

Elizabeth Hitchens recalled : When she saw the fire first something like a piece of paper flew out of the middle of the well : and up. Thought it was stock burning. To Mr Holmes : Smelt no fire, and saw nothing as she went to lunch. At a quarter to six the enquiry was adjourned till half-past seven. | On resuming at 7.30 p.m., Mr Pender called evidence. T. S. Lambert, architect: Made the plans for the buildings. There were two chimneys in the building, one iv the tailors' room, another in the back room of the first floor of the new portion, the hearth of which was about five feet from the ground. To Mr Martin : Could bring the plans t at longer notice. Had only been subpoenaed ! at seven o'clock that evening. i Thomas Fountaine: Was salesman in ' the clothing department of Hobday's store. i Was downstairs at the time the alarm was i given. Went upstairs, and saw the blaze as near Sandatein's corner fronting on Cashel street as could be. The window next to Sandstein's was open, and the fire ■ was working along the ceiling from that direction. Could not account for the fire. Witnes3 debcribed the contents of the reserve room as yarn goods, cotton shirts and straw hats, &c. To Mr Trent : Never knew sparks from the chimneys of other buildings enter the building. Henry Joseph Hopkins, of Woodend, farmer : Was at Hobday's at the time the alarm was given, talking with Mr Hobday. They parted, and Mr Hobday was just going up the stairs when the alarm was i given. I To Mr Holmes •. Had been giving Mr ! Hobday some securities about five minutes i befors the alarm was gives. Mr Smith was there. Henry Smart Hobday : Was Managing Director of the Co-operative Company. j At this point, Mr Holmes asked for an adjournment, as he was entirely uninstructed as to the circumstances of the i fi re> I Mr Holiday said he was prepared to give his evidence. There was a smell of fire noticed about the place. His first knowledge of the actual fire was through Miss Collins, whom he met as he was going up the staira, and was within a stop or two of the landing. She feaid there was afire. Witness had to go up to see where the fire was, and he then saw the fire issuing from the reserve room, next S&ndstein's. The fire came apparently from the roof, burning downwards. He cleared out the counting house, and then the work-girle. It was blowing a hard gale at the time. He thought a spark from some neighbouring I chimney entered his place and got between the ceiling and roof. Ho had heard that a ! spark from his fire was blown down to Mrs | Bowman's, and set that place on fire. Had previously to complain of sparks reaching his building from the Al Hotel, and from Ballantyne's ; but on the day of the fire, sparks would not have come from that .direction. It was some time in the morning when a smell was noticed about the place, and it was put down to a dead rat. It was traced as far as the Cashel street frontage. To Mr Martin : Had complained through Mr Smith to both the Al and Ballantyne's about spsr&s. Went to lunch as soon after one o'clock as he could get, sometimes as late as 2 p.m.. Had not his bill book or that of the Company with him, or any other of the books. Saved them all but the bought ledger (the X ledger), the Directors' book and the invoice book. The information in the bought ledger is also in the cash book. The Directors' book is the minute book. The wrong invoice book was saved by mistake. The invoice book, he thought, went up to August 22, last stock-taking time. The Home invoices from that date he thought were destroyed. Had duplicates. To Mr Holmes: Could not say what time he went to lunch on Oct. 3. He went to the Shades. Hopkins wa3 the first »man he met when he got back to the building. Got a bill from him and was running upstairs with it when he met the girl, who cried " Fire !" When he went to lunch, as a matter of common sense would leave Meadows in charge of the office. Would not dream of going out without doing so. Met Mr Latter when he • was comragJrom lunch. His goods were insured for and he had offered to buy them from the Directors for from .£17,000 to .£IB,OOO. To Mr Martin : The offer was made some day in September. This arrangement had subsequently been made to terminate the Company ; the business was paying too well for the Company, and too badly for him. Ten per cent to the shareholders meant 15 per cent to him. Was not losing money at it, but he might have made a good deal more. Had guaranteed 10 per cent to the shareholders. To Mr Holmes: The guarantee would run out this year. He practically was the Company, and held three parts of the shares. To Mr Martin : If the business made a losb, he would have had to pay the 10 per cent dividend guaranteed. A loss on capital account is provided for in ' the Articles of Association. Mr Pender said that all the principal people who had been about the place at the time of the fire, had now been called so as to throw all possible light on the origin. Mr Beetham thought that if counsel considered further evidence could be brought, he would adjourn the case; otherwise he did not think there was any use doing so. Counsel did not think so. | Mr Pender said when , the witness Meadows made his depositions to the police, he said that when he was going to lunch Mr Hobday came downstairs with him as far as the bottom of the stairs, and then returned. Mr Beetham read Meadows' evidence, eaying that he was with Hobday at twenty minutes .to two o'clock. Mr Hobday eaid this was impossible. Edward Samuel Latter : Was a clerk to MrtSmythe, auctioneer. Was going into i the Shades as Mr Hobday was coming out. j This was between three and five minutes j before the firebell rang. When the alarm ! was given he went down to the fire, and helped to take stuff out. David Christie : was licensee of the i Shades. Mr Hobday had lunch there. I Could not fix the time, but it was before two o'clock. When the alarm . was given ran in to tell Hobday, but found that he i ; had gone. I 1 Ernest Andrews, a boy, said he was j cashier at Hobday's. Was in the old part i of the buildings when the fire broke out. ■ Witness came back from his lunch about ■ half-past one. Was Sown stairs , at the i cash desk. Saw Mr Hobday come back ■ between five and ton minutes to two. Smith 1 and Hopkins were there. Mr Hobday was going up the stairs when the alarm was given. Mr Kobday was not there when : witness came back from his lunch. j ! The Coroner having charged the Jury | in the usual way they retired. On returning in about two minutes, the Foreman eaid that the Jury were unanimous in. finding that there was no evidence whatever to show the origin of the fire. j