FACTORY DESTROYED,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16713, 20 April 1922, Page 7

FACTORY DESTROYED,

FIRE IN SYDENHAM. EARLY MORNING OUTBREAK. A furniture factory belonging to Mr .T. Scott, 179. Wordsworth. Street. Sydenham, was completely destroyed by tire early this morning. The building was about six years old, made of woody forty feet bv thirty feet in area, and hail three floors. It contained machin ery, fittings, appliances and some furniture, but roost of the furniture completed had been sent to customers. .Hr Scott stated that work stopped in the factory at o p.m. yesterday. The tire in the chimney was made secure then, and everything seemed to be absolutely all right. He visited the factory again at 7.30 p.m., and there were no signs of fire. He was aroused from his bed about 3.15 a.m. by a man who was going home from work, and who, after giving the alarm to the Fire Brigade. knocked at the door of Mr Scott’s house, which is about a chain from the site of the factory. The factory then was a mass of flames. Although the brigade was very prompt it could do nothing to save either the buildings or the contents. The house, fortunately, was not- touched by the fire, but it had a narrow escape. Mr Scott can supply no theory as to the cause of the tire. He did not allow smoking on the premises. He recently had spent sums to make the factory convenient and efficient. Ho states that his loss. in the circumstances. is a particularly heavy one. on account of the cost of building and ob taining plant for his purpose. The building, which was insured in the National Office for £BOO, was valued at £'l2oo. The plant and other contents were insured in the Australian Alliance Office for £950: their value is estimated at £7OO for flic machinery and £650 for the other contents.