FIRES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 36

FIRES.

DISASTER AT FEXLDING. FEILDING,- February 22. At midniglit a disastrous fire broke out in a block of business premises occupied by the New Zealand Clothing Factory, M. Law (grocer), F. Butler (boot store), Whitelaw (saddler), H. Williameon (tailor), G. W. Fowles (watchmaker) and W. E. Grantham (refreshment rooms). These were ail wooden buildings, and were all destroyed. The first four shops were owned by Mr J. Hugb, Mr Williamson owning the one occupied by himself, and Mr Fowles the other.; 2 :!

A two-storied brick building, owned and occupied by Mr E. Goodbehere and Mr H Moi tensen, jeweller, was gutted Mr Woollam’s chemist’s shop, also of brick, was damaged, but the fire was here checked. The fire broke out at the back of Eowles’s shop, apparently outside. With the exception of Grantham, Fowles and Williamson’s premises, most of the stock was removed from the shops, but it was greatly damaged in removal. The fact that two incipient fires had occurred at the rear of the block within the last month, but were suppressed before damage was done, lends colour to the suspicion that the fire was the work of an incendiary. Mr Grantham and his family lived on the premises, and barely escaped with their lives. The fire is the most disastrous that has ever occurred here, the shops destroyed forming one of the principal blocks of business premises. The insurances are as follows: —E. Goodbehere, £SOO in the Commercial Union on building, nothing on chattels ; H. J. Whitelaw, £l5O in the National on the stock (loss above that is about £100); H. Mortensen, £3OO on the stock in the National (loss above is about £300); Marshall Law, £l5O on the stock in the Commercial Union; .Williamson, stock, £3OO in the Royal, £250 in the Norwich Union, and £l5O in the Phoenix, building, £2so’ in the Standard (Mr Williamson is a considerable loser); Butler, £IOO in the Phoenix; Grantham, £250 in the Commercial Union (the loss above this is £300) ; Fowles, £4OO on the building, and £IOO on the stock, in tire New Zealand office. Insurances on the New Zealand Clothing Factory are not ascertainable. Hugh’s building. £7OO in the Phoenix (the loss is £I3OO abpve that). It is estimated that - th©_total damage exceeds £IO,OOO. _ ._ The insurance on Woollam’s building is £4OO in the Imperial, and on the stock £450 and £SO in the Imperial and Standard offices respectively. An inquiry will be held regarding the late fire in Manchester street, Feiiding, probably on Friday. HAWERA, February. 22. A fire broke out at midnight in the centre of the business portion of the town, but after an hour’s work it was got under. The fire started in a large shod behind several shops facing High and Regent streets. The shops were nearly all old, and it looked at on© time as if there would be gireat difficulty in saving them. Fortunately, the new water supply stood the first demand on it, and the splendid pressure secured was greatly responsible for the fire being got under. The shop of Messrs R. Hannah and Co. (bootmakers) was slightly damaged by the fire. The shop of Mr Duxfield (saddler) was likewise damaged, as were also, the premises of Mr Robinson (plumber), and * the West Coast Farmers’ Trading Association Mart. Mr Brunette (jeweller), though escaping fire and water, lost considerably, his shop being broken open and things carried off, some to places of safety, others in the pockets of undesirables. Duxfieldr’s Robinson’s, Fortune’s, Gungall’s, Davis’s, Paterson’s, Milner and Tarry’s, and Hannah and Co.’s stocks were got- out, and the loss in those quarters will not be heavy. The auction mart stock was a good deal damaged, by water. The list of insurances and the estimate of lossare. not yet. available.