DISASTROUS FIRE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4507, 17 June 1937, Page 5

DISASTROUS FIRE

MANSON AND CLARK’S MILL. TOTALLY DESTROYED. At 4 o’clock yesterday morning fire broke out in Messrs. Manson and Clarke’s sawmill, south of Taumarunui, and completely destroyed the building and machinery. A Taumarunui resident who was at the scene after the fire, said all the machinery was a total wreck, the fire having swept through everything, including the breaking-down benches and planers. The building was burned to the ground and nothing remained standing but the boiler which was encased in brick. The mill was situated at Manson’s Siding, about 22 miles down the Main Trunk Line from Taumarunui, and had been operating for over 20 years. As far as can be ascertained in Taumarunui the damage done by the fire would run into several thousands of pounds, and to replace the mill in going order might cost £SOOO today. It was a well-equipped, up-to-date mill with a good planing shed and a well balanced stock, and in ordinary times was cutting 7000 feet of timber a day. Owing to the scattered bush the mill had not been cutting quite so consistently, of late, but from 25 to 30 hands were employed, The head office of the firm is at Port Ahuriri, Napier and they have another mill at Wairoa. Mr. Charles Manson, a partner in the firm of Manson and Clark, has been the resident manager at Manson’s Siding Mill all along and is well known in Taumarunui district. It is stated that the mill was covered by insurance, but the amount is not known.