FIRE AT PALMERSTON.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 131, 1 December 1906, Page 4

FIRE AT PALMERSTON.

A fire early last night broke out in a small storehouse at the back of Messrs Rodgers and Faire's new shops in Main street. The building and another adjoining it stood by themselves several feet back from the rear of the shops. The former was owned by McMurray and Co., and was used by them as a storehouse for straw and chaff, and the latter by Mr Stannard, basket and wicker chair maker, and contained a large quantity of willows wands and other articles used iv the trade. MrMurray and Co.'s shed had rubberoid walls and roof, which went off tike tinder, leaving the blackened skeleton of the structure standing. Before the Brigade could get to work Mr Stannard's workshop hal also caught. The fire was soon among the bundles of willow wands, and it was not until two hours after that the Brigade were able to suppress the smoulderings. That they finally managed to do by lifting off the iron roof to allow the smoke to escape, and thus enabling the fireman to gain entrance and throw the bundles out. Mr | Stannard was uninsured, and last night estimated his loss, including the building, at £800. McMurray and jCo-, w&o had several tons of chaff and straw in their' shed, the majority of which appeared to be damaged, were lightly insured. The fire made a i great blaze, and several hundred peopje were quickly gathered on the j scene. — Times.