A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8812, 2 March 1909, Page 5

A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

HEAVY LOSSES AT TAIHAPE. WHOLE BLOCK OF SHOPS DESTROYED. (Pee Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 1. A message from Taihape states that a most destructive tiro occurred this evening. A whole! block in Main street and Station street was totally destroyed. Thirteen business premises were gutted. The fire started in Whaler Bros.' boot shop and spread rapidly right and left. Fortunately it was a calm night. The premises of the following were destroyed : — Ellis and Darvill, storekeepers. McPherson, tailor. Nichol, jeweller. Finch, stationer —two-storey. Labour Department. J. P. Aldridge, insurance agent. Hautipo Tea Rooms. Whitcombe, dentist. Wong Kee, fruiterer. Jones, painter. Hodgson, plumber. Garner, seed merchant. Not 'a stick of timber was left. The Police Sergeant's residence and shops opposite were only saved bv strenuous exertions. The crowd worked willingly. The Fire Brigade were just proceeding by train to Auckland for the demonstration, but remained behind. Their services wero of little use as no water was available. The insurances as far as at present ascertained are: —Hodgson, £300 in tho Norwich Union ; Whaler, £250 in the Australian Alliance; McPherson. £250 in the same office ; Nichols, £300 in the South British; Garner, stock £200, and on the building, owned by Gibbons, £100, both in the Commercial Union; Whitcombe, stock £150 in tho Commercial Union; Finch, £900 on the stock valued at £1500 in tho Sun, and on personal effects £50 in the New Zealand office, loss over that £150; Ellis and Darvill, who have the largest business, are insured in the Alliance, but the amount is not known.

The progress of the fire was event.u aly stopped by pulling down tho build inge adjoining the police station.