BIG FIRE IN FOXTON.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 485, 24 July 1912, Page 5

BIG FIRE IN FOXTON.

THIRD IN TWO MONTHS. TWELVE PLACES DESTROYED. [BT telegraph. —PRESS association ] Palmerston N., Tuesday. The third disastrous fire in two months broke out in Foxton iust after midnight, when the following buildings were destroyed: Ball's tobacconist shop and billiard room. Simmonds' cycle shop. C. G. Golder and Son, jewellers. Mrs M. Park, stationer. R. Parks, jeweller. R. Moore, solicitor. Mrs Nye, stationer, temporary premises. T. Betty, bootmaker, temporary premises. E. Wanklyn, commission ajgent. J. Walls, baker. Miss Wanklyn, fruiterer. G. H. Stiles, draper. The fire commenced in the billiard room of Ball's establishment, and despite the efforts of a bucket brigade, swept the whole block of wooden buildings on the eastern side of the street, all one-storey buildings. The outside wall of Stiles' large shop was of corrugated iron, which largely assisted in preventing the fire spreading to the Presbyterian Church, an old wooden building with shingle roof, situated 40 feet away. Had the church gone, nothing could have saved the police station, residence and courthouse, and probably the new Town Hall would have gone.

White's Hotel was next to Balls', where the fire started, but a southeasterly wind drove the flames in the opposite direction.

Buildings owned by Mrs Thynne, Mrs Austin, and Mr G. H. Stiles, Mrs Nye. and Mr Betty, were burned in the previous big fire, and they were occupying temporary premises.

A-quantity of goods was salvaged by a large crowd of people. A coincidence in connection with the conflagration was that Supt. Barnard, superintendent of the Palmerston fire brigade, was in Foxton yesterday submitting a scheme to the Borough Council for fire prevention. The fire burned itself out about 2.30. The insurances are not yet available.

The same block was burned in 1903