FLOURMILL FIRE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18626, 26 February 1926, Page 15

FLOURMILL FIRE.

£250,000 DAMAGE, (b? cable—jsess association—copybiqht.) (austealian and h.z. cabl3 association.) MELBOURNE, February 25. Damage in excess of £250,000 was done by a fire which completely gutted the flourmilling establishment of John Darling and Sons, at Albion. From, the outset the fire brigade had little chance of saving the mills, owing to the extremely poor water pressure. A soldiers' settlement in the vicinity of the mills narrowly escaped destruction. Large stocks of grain and flour were also destroyed. The mills were claimed to ba the most modern in the Southern hemisphere. STRONG WIND AIDS FLAMES. (AUSTBALIAH ANB K.SS. CABIiB ASSOCIATION.) MELBOURNE), February 25, The Darling fire was pne. of; the largest ever witnessed in the State. A gtrpng wind and a poor water supply made ilia fight extremely difficult. Ten men were in the building at tho time of the outbreak, but all gpfc away safely except two on the top floor, who escaped by Bliding down the grain shoots. Hundreds of voluntary helpers assisted. These .inqluded ivomep, who limiped bags of wheat. Large stocks of flour are still ablaze. BUILDINGS HEAP OF RUINS, (austbamax ahb K.e. cable association.) (Received February 26th, 12.5 a.ro,) SYDNEY, February 25. _ Damage by the Darling's fire is estimated at £250,000. Within two hours of the nient of the outbreak, the building was a. heap of ruins, and only the outer walls were standing. Stacks of, wheat are still burning. SUGAR WORKS BURNED.

(bi cable— pbess association— copiekioht.) ADELAIDE, February 25. A tremendous fire broke out at the Glanvill© works of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., wbero thero was a stock of raw sugar amounting to 15,000 tons. It is estimated that £750,000 worth of sugar were destroyed. Damage to the building and plant is estimated at iSIOO.OOO.

ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE,

(AUSTRALIAN AHP N.S, CABLE ASSOCIATION) (Received February 25th, 7.10 p.m,) SYDNEY, February 25. The damage by the Sugar Company fira is now estimated at £IOO,OOO. Seventeen thousand tons of sugar, the property of the Queensland Government, are still burning in mighty bonfires, 6ecri for many miles, and have either destroyed or damaged all the stocks of refined, sugar. Supplies are being rushed from Melbourne to avoid a shortage.