Valuable Wheat And Flour Lost By Fire

Chronicle (Levin), 14 December 1949, Page 4

Valuable Wheat And Flour Lost By Fire

TIMARU, Dee. 13. A losing battie with flames which rose 25 feet above the buiiding, wafought by the Timaru Fire Brigade in ah ehdeavour to save a vhluable wheat store the property of Messrs Evans and Coy. at the Atlas flour mills. The flames, which erupted through the roof of the. 70-year-old buiiding at 2 o 'eloek this* morniiig, was the fifst warning of the fire which went on to e&usb d'ahiage which at a consefvative . e^tihiate is in tlie vicinity 'of £20,000. The brigade a'ttaftlted Ihe flfe ff ohj hll angles and in spite Of the th'ous'ands oft galloiiS of water expended, the s'tore is still smouldering this morning ahd sending smoke over the business atea nearby. The old concrete wa 11s of the buiiding are taking a territfic strain as sodden sacks of wh'eat ahd flour are swelling and tlireateiiing to burst theif way Oht. Eight thousand sacks of blended wheat hiid o000 sacks of flour have been destroyed. Ohe of the most serious eflects o+' the fire is thaf production Will be field up fbr some months as the wheat bins have been wipecl out. Fifeproof doors separating the mill from the store worked efficietltiy and pibbafely ptevfented a clean 6ut of the eh'tife plant. The fire bfigadh flifl ai'i eScelient ihb ih, shving the adjacent buildings. ' The ldsa in covered by jnsuranee in a number -oi -offices. -