FIRE IN WELLINGTON.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3625, 21 August 1901, Page 3

FIRE IN WELLINGTON.

Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, August 20.

A lire broke out at 4, a.m. on tue top floor ol Jacob dosepa'a HYc-3toiey wait: home on Lanibton Quay, oi viiieh tne ground floor is occupiea oy tne Wiurarapa warmers' Association, the two next rioou by tne Government Labour Department, Valuation Department, Census unices, ana Official Assigaee) and tie Conciliation Board rooms, and the top flocis by tlie Wairarapa Farmers' Association as storage for merchandise, cliiefiy chaff and tne .like. The two top fiats were gutted, but the damage in me lower portions ol the building was confined to that by water. The building was insured in the ommercial Union for £BOOO, and the fittines and fixtures in the same office for £IOOO. Of the total amount, £SOOO was reinsured as follows: —New Zealand £ISOO, Royal £IOOO. Liverpool, London and Globe £IOOO, Standard, Royal, and Victoria £SOO each. - The Wairarapa Fanners' stock was insured in the Phoenix for £5300, which amount ha 3 been reduced by reinsurances to £2300.

This morning's fire entails serious loss to two pubic departments. The Census Department had 52 clerks employed on details of its work, and all the inlormation used by them, that would be of value to the old age pension office and the insurance department, are irreplaceably destroyed. The Valuation Department had from 20 to 40 men engaged on work connected with the valuation c£ Nos. 2 and 3 districts, extending from New Plymouth on one side and East Cape on the other right down to the Marlborough end of the West- Coast goldfields. A large part of their papers, which were set out in the offices, have been reduced to pulp, and other parts will have to be rewritten at great expense. There was considerable loss also in the Official Assignee's office. The fire brigade worked admirably in checking the fire.