FIRES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13558, 31 March 1908, Page 5

FIRES.

SERIOUS DAMAGE AT WEL- : ;. LINGTON. Per Press, Association. WELLINGTON, March 30. A hie broke' oufc this evening in the Pulcetapu Sawmill Company* premises situated between Viutoiia street and Cbnr--lenay Place. A stiflish noith-easterly wind was blowing at the time which quickly fanned the flames and caused tiie fire to spread diagonally across towards the front of Courtmay Place. The inflammable material in the limber yard was quickly consumed. , When tlie fire swept into Courtenay Place it. gutted a two storey brick building owned by Mr T. Young containing on the ground floor three fchops—one occupied by (Mr Kirkpatrick, grocer; one by Mr Tester, hairdresser and v tobacconist; the other being - empty. An empty wooden shop adjoining also owned by Mr T. Young was destroyed, as also were the pieinises occupied by Mr Levy, a. .secondhand goods dealer. ,and Mr Kane, a confectioner. The top floor of Mr Young's buildings was occupied by Niclioll, Stringer and Co. painters.

No estimate of the damage can be made at present but it must prove to be considerable, perhaps about £SOOO. Young's brick building was insured 'for £2BOO 'in the Phoenix Office arid two-thirds of this; amount were reinsured. The empty wooden shop was insured for £2OO with, the Phoenix Office. - A risk of £250 -was held, by the Phoenix Office on the Puketapn sawmill building half being reinsured. The Phoenix had also a policy of '£2s upon tools in the mill. The main insurance of the contents was with the Royal Exchange Company which * had a policy of £ISOO upon the ■ contents' of the mill and £SOO > , upon the timber. Tester was insured for £200; he estimates his loss" at £l5O more., Nicol Stringer *' t and Co's. stockr of paint was insured for £6OO in the New Zealand Office. STABLE DESTROYED. At 3 o'clock'tins' morning the fire bell at the main station rang out an alarm, a brilliant glare in the eky denoting another fire to the south-west of the town. The brigade were smartly tiway, and found that the scene of" the fire wa.s a stable owned ■by Mr falter Townsend, near Archer's paddock.' Owing ,to- no fire plug being >lmtidy 'the brig'Sde were k hampered, and the' »table destroyed. Owing to the N late hour the particulars available are meagre. ■ ' ,