FIRE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XX, Issue 940, 6 February 1908, Page 5

FIRE.

I v n KSS A SSOCT AX J OX . J TIM A HI". To-day. The biggest lire in Timaru siuco 18t'>8 broke- out at 0.40 ibis afternoon in the town retail house, of she Farmer*' Co-operative Association. :>. largo j brick building facing Beswick street and Stralhallan street. V-. In-n first seen, the lire had a hold in the linoleum and carpet room on ihe first .floor, and it spread with ;. real rapidity into ihe drapery department adjoining, it was soon apparent that it had a great hold. The Moor was crammed with drapery aud such like inflammable material. In a very short time both the town and tho Railway Fire Brigade had leads of hose going, but it was quickly seen that the large building and its valuable contents wore doomed. The. firo burnt fiercely for two hours, and prac- ' tically only bare walls were left standing at 8 p.m. It was a. magnificent sight when the lire was at its height. Explosions of cartridges and dynamite in the building created repeated panics among the dense crowds of people who were looking on. Fortunately the building stands slightly apart from the Royal Hotel and Reid and Gray's warehouse, and, as the weather was calm, the brigades had no difficulty in saving the adjoining premises, there being a splendid supply of water. The books of the Farmers' Co-operative Association were saved, and also a iow lots of stock, such as saddlery, groceries, etc. but j practically speaking a clean sweep was mad* 1 . The loss is estimated at from £70.000 to £80.000. There is an insurance of -£40.0000 on the stock and fittings, and £15.000 on tho building. The offices interested are ihe Royal, Alliance, New Zealand, Phoenix. Royal Exchange. National, Fanners' Co-operative, Norwich Union, Standard, Northern Assurance. North British, Queensland ami South British. TIMARU, To-day. The total ins u ranees an. £0G,"6_0 ; £11.000 on the building. £IG2O on the inrniture, fittings, .and the rest on ihe stock. The loss is estimated at £70.000.