SERIOUS FIRE AT THE BLUFF.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12021, 21 March 1903, Page 4

SERIOUS FIRE AT THE BLUFF.

Per Press Association. BLUFF, March 2. A disastrous fire ocLUtred at Bluff at 1.53 this morning, by which Bococnoc House, the property oi Mr Andiew Scott, and occupied by Mr ?»f:icinty»c as a boarding-house, Mr Moffett's chemist's shop, Messrs Price and Bulleid's drapery establishment, a Club Hotel tenant's premises, C. Sutherland's, the Titiroa Dairy Supply Company's and Huddart. Parker's offices, and Hotton's billiard room, weie entirely destroyed, whilst the top floor of the Bank of New Zealand was gutted. The buildings burnt were situated in the centre of Gore street, and comprised the finest block in the town. The fire burnt furiously, as a heavy south-we3t gale was blowing, greatly hampering the efforts of the brigade. Practically nothing was sared by any of the tenants, the fire sweeping the block with startling rapidity. The Harbour Board's new office, and the Post Office, handsome two-storey brick buildings, were also damaged.

INVERCARGILL, March 20. The insurances, so far as ascertainable here,-are as follows:—Club Hotel, tot-ally destroyed, £1785 in the Manchester office and £825 in the New Zealand; furniture and effects, £IOSO in the Alliance office; the furniture in Scott's building, £SOO in the Alliance office; Price and Bulleid's stock, £SOO in the Commercial Union; Moffett's stock, £IOO in the New Zealand and £2OO in the United. The damage totals between £7OOO and £BOOO. The bank premises, the Harbour Board and the Post Office suffered but slightly. The corrected insurances in connection with the Bluff fire, as far as ascertained, are as follows:—Boconnoc House, buildings insured bv Mr Scott, the owner: £825 in the New Zealand Office, and £BOO in the National Office; £6OO in the Alliance Office on the billiard table, piano, and furniture. Moffett, druggist: £IOO on the stock, in the New Zealand, £165 on the stock, and £35 on personal effects in the United Office. Invercargill Dairy Supply Company. £l5O on the stock in the South British Office. Price and Bulleid. drapers. £6OO on the stock, in the Commercial Union. Club Hotel, £2OOO in the Manchester Office on the buildico-. reinsured for £125 in the New Zealand Office: £930 on the effects and furniture, and £250 on the stock in the Alliance Office. Bank of New Zealand, £450 on the building in the Standard Office, and £4O on the furniture, in the New Zealand Office. Huddart Parker Company, and Dairy Supply Company : On the buildings' and bedroom:; £SOO in the Standard Office. The walls of the destroyed buildings have been pulled down as unsafe.