TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE BRUCE WOOLLEN MILLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12036, 7 May 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE BRUCE WOOLLEN MILLS.

LOSS, £21,500. The Bruce woollen mills wore totally destroyed by fire early nn tha 23th ult. The (ire originated eit'iet in (lie online room or stoke-house, and was first (Uncovered Ijy Mips Ellen Cibh, daughter of Mr .lames (Jil)b, railway staiionmaslor, who resides near the mill. Miss (iibb was awakened by the crackling and the glare of the burning timber about 3 o'clork, and awakened Iter father, who lost no time in proceeding to the house of Mr M'Xaughtou, not far distant, who had also been awakened by the tire. Immediately afterwards the Presbyterian Cluirc!'. bell was rung. A crowd fpecdily gathered, but as there is no local fire brigade nothing could bo dono towards saving tho building and the valuable machinery. Had there been a fire hrigado and a sufficient supply of water, the ilamos could carily have been confined to the engine and boilcr-houFO, and the destruction of tho main building and machinery averted. A very strong Foulh-v.-esterly wind wan blowing, and tho firo having originated in tho south-west corner, (!:e wind fanned the flames on to the building, which quickly b'.czeil with groat fierceness. Seeing that thcro was no possibility of savin" the building, those who were present devoted their attention to tho stock, and a good portion of this was saved. It was, however, found to be impossible to Fave any of the valuable machinery. It may he mentioned that the machinery was considered by. experts to bo equal to any in the colony. The mill i 3 a complete ruin. It was visited to-day by many persons, and universal regret was expressed that the concern should have been overtaken by such a calamity when it was just beginning to gain a firm footing. The machinery is nearly all destroyed. A'cry littlo of it can be made use of aaain. Tho only portion of the mill the fire did in 1 , touch was tho teasing room. It is built of iron. Tho mill w.:s provided with fireproof doors and walls, but the (lames, fanned as they were by a strong wind, swept along tho roof, and, tho skylight glass ljrcakinjr, tho firo easily gained a««s to other portions of the building. Tho loss of the mill is sovoroly felt by many of the townspeopleworkers ill Hie different departments, over 100 hands having been employed. It is generally recognised that oven if tho Dunedin Firo Brigade had come out by Fpceial train they would havo been too late to render any nicl worth mentioning, fr.r within three hoiirj of fhn outbreak the mill was a ruin. Tho Alliance held a risk of £!!>.,400, reinsured as follows:—New Zealand. South nritisli, North British, Manchester, and North (lorman. £1000 each: London and Lancashire, £1400; Liverpool and London and Globe, Commercial Union, and Norwich Union, £500 eacli company, Tho Victoria, who held a similar risk, are reinsured ns follows:—lioyal. £1500; National, Standard, New Zealand, Commercial Union, South British, Not them, and Phoenix, £1000 each: United. £750; Liverpool and London and Globe, £660; and Sun, £500.