FIRES

Southland Times, Issue 16784, 12 July 1911, Page 5

FIRES

(Per United Press/! Association.) WAIMATE, July 11. Fire broke out at 1.40 tills morning in the hardware department of the Canterbury Farmers’ Association’s largo brick emporium. The staff had been stocktaking the previous evening. The llames proved stubborn, defying the brigade witii a good pressure and two leads of hose till 8.30, by which time the whole of the hardware on the ground floor and men’s clothing and millinery on the upper floor had been completely destroyed ; also the grocery and boot stocks were much damaged. The ceiling was burnt through in places, and the whole building in the front portion is smoked, steamed, and saturated. The loss is very heavy, but is, it Is understood, covered by insurance. This is the first fire in the promises, which were erected about seven yours ago. A later message states that the damage at the Farmers’ Co-op. fire was chiefly done by water and smoke, the whole of the stock being more or less damaged. Insurances: Hrapery, hardware and grocery stock, £14,595; building, £4000; fittings, furniture, and plant, £1440, in the Alliance, Farmers’, Guardian, Royal Exchange, State and Norwich Union offices.