FIRE AT BURNS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2513, 14 May 1902, Page 4

FIRE AT BURNS.

The firf at Mo- • Ki' . ms 1 tannery at liurn-sid-' on Ki'imai nvrnjii" resulted in the almo-t total de-truclion of the cxtcushe brilding-5, the \ahiable m.ici'inoi-j. and the largo stock The outbrenl: \ia"? discovered ehortlj- after midnight by p. young man, an employee of the firm. -a ho 'V:m on hi-> vay homo from p 'ocipl. He r.'vo tiir^ ahiim and aroused Mr W Bs»yIpv but by t'i" lime Mr Bnj]cyanfl a rmnhur of the lio'ifliho.irs had come on the- s>ecno nothing ;.t all c o-ild bo rlono io ?2l\q tlic biiildni;., and only M-ry little t ; mo v:a-al'ov.-rd m vililrh lo pet ■some bocks and p:ijifr> out of the olf.ee before v was con=uino I, with the ic-.i of the main building. One \iO\ tioa of ilip prriTii=CF, con.-i-.ting of iluco btoicys, was only recently r.cc f od, and \va 3 fitted up with the* Intent fixating and <-te.iininj; appliances. A huge i'v.im and ste-amms room was put- up t\.-o or tiiive ypari ,->zo. The main building, eonipi.srig

drum shop, engine-room boiler house, and other rooms, was completely destroyed, as were also several detached bulindings — a dyeing and drying- room, tannery and drying shed, machine room, and store. The packing and drying shed is the only building left standing. The machinery is, of course, considerably damaged, but some of it may be salved. A new engine and boiler put in a few months ago at a cost of £500 are almost ruined. Another machine had cost eomething like £1000. The stock comprised pelts, leather, salt, etc. The pelts are all badly charred, and the leather is quite destroyed. It is surmised that the fire broke out in the engine-room : it was in that part of the building the flames were first seen. No night watchman was kept on the premises. The building, machinery, and stock were insured in the Standard office for £2025. The office retained £300 of the risk, and reinsured the remainder', as follows : — Scuth British, £300; North) Queensland, £300; New Zealand, £300; Alliance; £300 7 Commercial Union, £300; and Victoria, £225. Only a fortnight ago the firm reduced their insurances from £5340 to £2025, ltaving removed some of their machines to Sydney, where they had started a branch business on account of the excessive tariff on good of their manufacture. The amount of insurance remaining does not represent anything like the value of the building and its contents, and it is estimated that the firm are losers to the extent of between £1000 and £2000. They must also suffer -a great loss in trade. Between 20 and 30 men were employed at the works.