WOOL STORE BLAZE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 158, 5 July 1940, Page 6

WOOL STORE BLAZE.

LOSS OF MORE THAN £15.000.

RUINS STILL SMOULDERING

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

NAPIER, this day.

The destruction yesterday of nearly 800 bales of wool anl the store used by the Farmere' Wool Scouring Company, at Awatoto, near Napier, was ewift and complete.

It v. Ulieved the fire started near the middle of the building among the bales of stored wool. The whole building was ablaze within a few minute*. The wool, which was valued at £17 per bale, alone represents a lose of more then £10,000, while the building and plant were valued at £5000, and insured for substantially lees than that amount.

It is understood that the lose of the wool will fall on the British Government, on whose behalf it had been purchased at the third and fourth wool appraisals at. Napier in February and March. It wa* in the company's store for scouring before export.

Only one wall of the building w left standing, and the fire « still burning. It is expected to smoulder for several dar* and it k as yet impossible to the extent of the damage to the ecourinjr j>l~nt, which includes the only machine scourer in the district.