FIRE AT INVERCARGILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 225, 28 September 1897, Page 2

FIRE AT INVERCARGILL.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

Invercargill, Monday. Shortly after eight p.m. a fire broke out in the wholesale stores of Messrs Thomson Bridger and Co., Spey-street, on the west side of the town, immediately opposite the gaol. Owing to the inflammable nature of the contents, the flames speedily cleared about half-an-acre of buildings. Practically nothing was saved, all the buildings being of wood. The fire originated in the south-west corner, which was the old Garrison Hall, and had advanced so far before the brigade got to work that tie front of the hail immediately fell out. Th e strong south-west wind blowing carried the fire through the buildings with great rapidity, a large stock of kerosene being early set ablaze. The Garrison Hall was in great danger for some time, it having a row of windows high up in the brick wall facing the fire but the Railway Brigade got between the ■ two places and pushed the'ibuniing wall over. The fire was a very ugly one, being to the windward of the town, and a number of old wooden buildings standing between it and Dee-street. A large iron shed containing timber immediately in the rear of the Garrison Hall took fire in the roof, but was saved. The. buildings, including the timber shed still standing, belong to W. Guthrie and Co., in liquidation, and were insured as at loth February for £2,300— North German £500, Royal £800, Son£soo, Phoenix £500. Thomson and Bridget's stock was insured as at the 26th July for £5,750 —Commercial Union £2,000/ Imperial £1,000, North German £1,000, Norwich Union £500, Royal Exchange £250. As the firm were selling o^TGuthrie's stock, and otherwise disposing of it, the . insurances were being reduced, and it is said that £2,000 was knocked off the above figures recently.