THE FIVE-STOREY FIRE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 August 1901, Page 3

THE FIVE-STOREY FIRE.

Heavy Loses by the Government Department.

(per press association.)

Wellington, This Day.

The buildings were insured in the Commercial Union for £BOOO, and the fittings and fixtures in the same office for £IOOO. Five thousand of the total amount is reinsured as follows: New Zealand, £1500; Eoyal, £1000; Standard, Eoyal and Victoria, £SOO each. The Wairarapa Farmers stock is insured in the Phoenix for £5,300, which amount has been reduced by reinsurance to £2,300.

This morning’s fire entails a serious loss to two public departments. The Census Department had clerks employed on the details of its work and all the information used by them that would be of value to the Old Age Pension Office Insurance Department besides the data are irreplaceably destroyed. The Valuation Department had from twenty to forty men engaged on work connected with the valuation of Nos 2 and 3 districts extending from New Plymouth on one side and East Cape on other right down to Marlborough, and the West Coast Goldfields. A largo part of their papers which where set out in offices are reduced to pulp, the other parts will have to be rewritten at great expense, and considerable loss also in the official assignees office. The fire brigade worked admirably in checking the fire.