EXTENSIVE FIRE AT GORE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1666, 3 February 1904, Page 59

EXTENSIVE FIRE AT GORE.

LOSSES ESTIMATED AT £30,000.

INVERCARGILL, January 29. A fire in the main street at Gore at half-past two this morning destroyed several of the finest buildings in the town — viz., tlie Holland Arcade, Mr McGit*. hon’s three-story drapery establishment, and six other shops’. Tike fire started ilk Miss Cotter’s milliner’s shop. Later. The fire which played havoc with Gore this morning destroyed an imposing block of buildings, elected about two years ago on an obtuse angle formed by Mersey and Main streets. It was three'fetoried in front, and handsomely finished, and behind in circumflex from Hoiland’s Arcade extended fipm street to street, treminating in graceful archway©. The Arcade contain©;* many shops. The fiie was first seen m a shop by the eastern archway in Main street. The town has steam and manual engines, but no water supply other than street wells, and, after weeks of dry weather, these y soon emptied. Had tho supply of water held out a few minutes longer the fire would have been confined to two shops, .but the well was pumped dry at the critical moment, and the steamer had to be taken to a river* a quarter of a mil© off. By th© time tlie hose had been patched together to cover this distance, the position was hopeless. The Arcade and Mic Gibbon’s Building 1 were soon utterly destroyed. The fii‘o then spread up Main street northward as far as Stean’s, tobacconist, and but for the collapse of the roof of tlie corner pile and the dropping of tho wind, th© outbreak would almost certainly have wiped tlie business part of the town out, as the brigade was powerless. Many of tlie shopkeepers were not insured. There was a fair amount of salvage, but the losses run to thirty thousand. The cause of the fire is not known. The shops were lit by private electrio installation, and no fires had been used in the first shops attacked for months past. Twenty-two shops and offices in all were destroyed. It was with the utmost difficulty the fire was prevented from spreading south along Main street parallel to the railway station. Insurances and losses. —-McGibbon and Company, £2500 in the National office on the building (loss £ISOO over insurance), and £4200 on stock (£ISOO loss); Burley and Company, no insurance (loss £250); Lawlor, no insurance (loss £175); MeConachy, £2OO in the Australian Alliance (loss £100); Federal Company, £250 in the Yorkshire on stock in the Arcade shown do tn (loss £150); Federal Company, £IOOO on buildings (portion occupied by Steans); Stearns, £4OO in the New Zealand 1 , on stock and fittings (loss considerable); Holland, £4OOO in the Standard on Arcade and other shops, and £SOO in the Ocean Accident on windows (lasa over £3500 above insurance); Horns, office furniture and fittings, no insurance (loss £80); Mrs Kenning, no insurance (loss £200); Henderson, no insurance (loss £180); warr, no insurance (loss £350); City Grocery Qompany, £OSO in Standard! (loss £400); Gatehouse and Brims, £2OO in the North British and £4OO m the New Zealand (loss £200); Miss D. Cottar ,£-00 in the Standard 1 (loss £400); Lawlor, no .insurance (loss £75); Inder, £ljo in the Standard (lose* £150); Neave, no insurance (loss £75); R. Buchanan, £3OO in the Sun (considerable loss); Simon McDonald, no insurance (loss £100); Jam j-e, £2OO in the Standard (loss £100); Mrs Mulhaxe, no insurance (loss £200); Simon Bros., £4OO in the South British (loss considerable).