GREAT FIRE AT TIMARU.

Colonist, Volume L, Issue 12159, 6 February 1908, Page 3

GREAT FIRE AT TIMARU.

A FINE BUILDING & CONTENTS DESTROYED. ESTIMATED LOSS BETWEEN ,£70,000 and 380,000. THE INSURANCES 360,500. (Per United Press Association.) Timaru, February 5. xne biggest fire hi Timaru since IS6S broke out at 5.40 this afternoon in the town retail house of the Farmers' Cooperative Association, a large brick building facing Beswick-street and Stratballan-street. When first seen, the fire had a hold in the linoleum and carpet room, on the first floor, and it spread with great rapidity into the drapery depart j ment adjoining. It apparently had a j great hold in a short space of time of the floer, whicJi was crammed with drapery • and such like inflammable material. In ; a brief period of time both the Town and the Railway Fire Brigades had twelve leads of hose going but it was soon seen that the large building and its valuable contents were doomed. Tho fire burnt fiercely for two hours, and practically only the bare walls were left standing at 8 p.m. It was a magnificent sighf when the fire was at its height. The explosion of cartridges-anddynamite in the building created repeated.. panics among the dense crowds of- .people looking on. Fortunately the building stands slightly apart from the Royal Hotel and Reid and Gray's warehouse. As the weather was calm, the Fire| Brigades had. no diflicnlty in saving the adjoining premises, therebeing a splendid supply of water. The books of the Farmers' Co-operative store were saved, and also a few lots •- of stock, such as saddlery, groceries, etc., but, practically speaking, a clean sweep was made. The loss is estimated at from 370,000 to 380,000. There is an insurance of 345,500 on the stock, and on the fittings oj 315,000. The insurance offices interested are the Royal, Alliance, New Zealand, Phcenix, Royal Exchange, National, Farmers' Co-operative, Norwich Union,... Standard, Northern Assurance. North British, Queensland, and South British.