THE REGENT FIRE AT GUTHRIE AND LARNACH'S SAW-MILL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1904, 1 April 1880, Page 3

THE REGENT FIRE AT GUTHRIE AND LARNACH'S SAW-MILL.

Ever since the fire ly which Messrs Guthrie and Larnach's saw-mill was burned down, the sawdust about the place has been smouldering. No danger was, however, apprehended from this, but yesterday's gale from the north-east (Bays Monday's " Southland News ") caused the latent flames to burst out in various parts of the accumulated sawdust, and it was soon evident to the men about tho mill that some of the buildings saved from the former fire would be destroyed. They at once set to work and labored hard to save as much property as possible. The contents of the chaff house wero first removed, and not a moment too soon, for they had barely succeeded in doing so before it caught fire. The books and furniture wero also saved. A new locomotive standing in an adjacent shed was next conveyed to a place of safety by means of an improvised tramway. By this time the fire had extended to the slabs on each side of the tramway, and favored by the wind, soon reached tho timber depot. The employes and others to tho number of between ■sixty and seventy, under the direction of the manager, Mr McPherson, did their best to check tho progress of the fire, but their efforts in this direction wero partly nullified by the limited supply of water. They next sought to save as much of the sawn timber as pos'ible, and managed to remove a large quantity by means of several railway trucks which happened to be at hand. At two o'clock in the afternoon the manager sent a messenger to town, asking the lure Brigade to come down, but the request was not complied with on account of there being only auch a small supply of water available. By tix o'clock last evening all the timber m the yard had caught, and tho quantity destroyed was roughly estimated at from 70,000 to 100,000 feet. The fire was still burning today, and threatens to destroy the stables close to the mill, and the houses of lomeo the employes, a number of whom are stui hard at work endeavoring to avert tne threatened destruction of property. We are informed that none of the property dsstroyed on this occasion is insured.