CORONIAL INQUIRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 112, 14 May 1931, Page 7

CORONIAL INQUIRY

FIRE IN A GARAGE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 13. At the instigation of the Wellington Fire Board a coronial inquiry is being made to-day in regard to a fire in the garage of Birket and Sons, Thorndon Quay, on April 20. Counsel said that the suspicion that had been raised in the minds of the Board was that vho fire had been deliberately started for the purpose ot destroying the stock n trade <*f Bidce* and Sons, and that the means employ ed was t-o spray tops of cars with bei. zine and some other highly inflammable substance. In tho course of his evidence the superintendent of the brigade said the cars were packed so tightly on both floors that he did not think it possible tn get another in. Hu stressed tue points which seemed to suggest time the fire had darted rapidly over the tops of tho cars, burning the ceiling, but ho bottoms of tho cars were little affected, also the tyres and the flpor, There weie 71 cars in tho building Air Gilmore, chief inspector for the Underwriters’ Association, gave sim ilar evidence and conclusions.