FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 7

FIRES.

DESTRUCTIVE BLAZE AT TIMAR.U, 'FARMERS'. CO-OPERATIVE. tßT'ißuaitArfl—ntss* A33ocutio?».l *■. .--■'{■ Tlmaru, April 8. A fire occurred at the Canterbury farmers' Co-operative premises last night. It was dis.covered at-11.20 o'clock when.it had a very strong hold, a great volume .of-flame bursting from the roof above the tailoring department as the brigade arrived. .. .It from the'outset that nothing could-T>e donate- control the,fire, and efforts were directed chiefly to the flames' at the front to prevent.their spread to, the two large hotels on the opposite side of the street,- which is only half a chain wide. _ The fire reached its height a.quarter of an hour . after the alarm had been given, by which time the whole north half of the buildings'had, been converted into a'seething furnace, while ■ the remainder was burning fiercely. '; A SAFETY GAP MADE.' Large portions of the,exterior walls collapsed'at intervals, but no damage was done by falling bricks. The safety of the Customshouse, the nearest building, on the northern side, was secured by the making of a wide gap- ' ...•'■ 'By 2 o'clock the fire had practically burnt out, though there were stacks of goods still blazing this morning, in spite, of the water poured in to tho, premises throughout last night. Little now remains but bare'walls. Milliners were engaged in tho building until 9 o'clock last night, and the watchman - who locked up after they left savs everything was secure, while passers-by'five minutes before the alarm was given saw no fire. ■' , ' THE INSURANCES. ' ' The insurances on tho building, which was the property of the association, are:—ln the Alliance .office £500, Imperial £1000, Farmers' Co-operative £1075. ■■.'•'• Stock.—ln the Alliance £16,800, Royal £0500,'. New Zealand £5500, Farmers' Cooperative £2500, Northern £1700. ; Furniture and fixtures.—ln the New Zea- • land £400. Total, £33,975. , The association proposes to recommence business immediately by utilising the temporary, offices used by the staff since the last are in February, 1908. '_ The Fire Brigade was .turned out twice on Thursday, on the-first occasion at 2.2 p.m. to a timber'drying, shed at the rear of the resi-dence-of Mr. J. T. Bydder, 57 Adelaide Road, a spark from a rubbish fire having set the_building alight. The building and tho timber inside wero badly damaged. The second eall was at 6.5 p.m. to a chimney fire • at the dwelling of Mr. William Bowden, Clif- ' Jon '/Terrace. Another call was received at 9.1/, last night to an unoccupied building at the back of a vacant section in Manners Street, opposite the Royal Oak Hotel. Tho sido walls of the building were damaged. The cause of t-hj\,j?tribreak J3 unknown.