DISASTROUS FIRE.

Lake County Press, Issue 2736, 30 May 1918, Page 5

DISASTROUS FIRE.

Big Blaze In Gore.

A disastrous fire ocourred at Gore at five o'clock on Sunday morning, and destroyed practically all Holland's twostorey block in Main street. The following shops were destroyed :—Hamilton, jeweller ; Harliwich, fruiterer; Forbes, bookseller ; Calder, draper; Edgar Watt, draper ; Miss Barclay, dressmaker ; Gore Returned Soldiers' Club; Mrs Henderson's rooms ; private apartments; drapery stocks of McGruer, Taylor and Co.

The insurances were :—Holland's buildings, £BOOO. Stocks of tenants : —Calder, £1000; Hamilton, £I6OO ; Watt, <1000; Forbes, £6OO J MoGruer, Taylor and Co., £BSOO. Harliwioh. Henderson, Barclay, and the Soldiers' Club were uninsured.

The insurance companies affected are the New Zealand, National, Guardian, Standard, Norwich Union, aod Commercial Union. The orißin of the fire is a mystery. Mrs Henderson became aware of smoke at an early hoar, and found the passage full of smoke. The big fire was fought in a fierce gale, and the volunteer brigade did excellent work. The case of Mr Watt is particularly unfortunate, be having gone to camp a week previously, leaving Mrs Watt to rnn the business. The Returned Soldiers' Club had been famished recently at a cost of £2OO.