FIRE AT MILTON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1391, 18 March 1912, Page 5

FIRE AT MILTON.

« LARGE STORE AND BILLIARD ROOMS BURNED. SCARCELY ANYTHING SAVED. .By Telegrash—Proas Association.) Diinedin, March 16. Early this morning one of the biggest fires-in tho history of the town took placo st Milton by which the krge general' store of Messrs. James Gray and Son ami the billiard rooms of Messrs. 11. J. and H. Coombs wero totally destroyed. Grhy's storo was a largo two-story wooil-cn-building. A brick dividing wall separated it from Coombs' billiard rooms which wero a one-story wooden building containing throe tables. Tho alarm was given shortly after 2 o'clock by sotno employees of tho Bruce Woollen Mills returning from their shift. Tho llames then had an uncontrollable hold of tho drapery department of Mr. Gray's store. They wore bursting through the, windows and in'very rapid time through tho roof, finally enveloping tho whole, building. Salvago either from Gray's or Coombs' premises was practically out of the tiuestipn and scarcely, anything was.saved. ', Fortunately the wind was blowing from a 'westerly' direction, the quarter where tho-least 'danger-Was threatened by the flying sparks. • The brigade whose only equipment was b reel and hand pump, and their only water supply from adjacent underground Tvelis,' wore unable- to attempt more than to safeguard adjoining , premises. The fire burned'itself out in a couple, of hoursi .. . , . Tho business of Messrs. James Gray and Soil-was carried on by Messrs. A. G. and J. 'Gray .on .behalf of tho estate of tho late Mr. James Gray and comprised "grocery, hardware, drapery, boots, dressmaking, etc. Heavy stocks were carried. It is surmised that the fire started in the,-.drapery department. Nothing was Bavcd except tho reserve grocery stock stored' in a, separate iron building at the rear. This buildinpr, which also contained stocks of oil, remained, being scorched only at one end. The insurances are not available, but It'.is understood that Messrs. Gray, who owned, the premises had the shop and fittings' insured with the Liverpool, Lon".lion. and.Globs, and the stock with tho Guardian Office, the insurance on both airtonnting 'to'about jIO.OOO. Messrs'. Coombs' billiard rooms was an old .building, having boon built about . I 8"0. Attached to the billiard rooms was a travellers' sample room, which was fortunately empty at the time except for ono hamper, which was saved. Nothing '.except a few cues, and ball.s was saved from tho billiard room, aiul Messrs. Coombs Bros., who owned the building, ' estimated their loss at XGOO, their nnly insurance being .£3OO on the building with the. South British. There had been no one on the premises eince .9.-15 p.m. on Friday. . Several premises in the residential part of the town wero threatened by incipient blazes from sparks, but practically no damage is reported except that the windows of the post o|fice were shattered by . the heati ._