Fire In Offices Of New State Mine

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1948, Page 5

Fire In Offices Of New State Mine

Press Association)

(Per

WESTPORT, July 22. A fire which was diseovered at 5.30 this morning when flames were seen shnoting through Ihe roof of the building completely destroved a block of oflices at. Denniston, formerlv the propertv of the Westport Coal Company and recentlv transferred to the State, Although the fire brigade was quicktv on the scene, the fire had such a strong hold that it was impossible to save the building or its contents, and by 7.30 there only remained a sipouldering ruin. However, a good save was mgde of Mr. N. Shand's adjoining resi-i depce, to which the fire had spread. The burned block incorporated the maru pay oflice for the Denniston miners and six other rooms used by managers, surveyors and clerks. A start had been made on tlie construction of a flat as an addition to the main building intGnded for use by the paymaster, and thgt partlv completed building was also destroyed by the fire. The destruetion of the Westport Company 's records will be a severe loss to the .Hines Department as they are understood to e.ontain important information concernipg fhe mjnes in thp Denniston area recently acquired by tke State.