BURNING OF THE WAITANGI MILLS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2549, 23 May 1881, Page 2

BURNING OF THE WAITANGI MILLS.

SECOND EDITION

GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY About half-past six on Saturday evening the fire-bells rang out the alarm, and very soon tea-tables were deserted and nearly the entire population of Timaru had flocked down to witness the destruction by fire of one of the largest manufacturing coqcerns in South Canterbury. By the time the Fire Brigade arrived, and shortly after the first alarm, it was perceived that nothing could possibly save the flour mills, which were in one prodigious blaze, the reflection of the conflagration casting a ruddy glowon the hundreds of people standing around. So fierce was the blaze that it was sufficiently light to read a newspaper away by the immigration barracks. The efforts of the Brigade were, therefore, directed to saving the sawmills. With some trouble all immediate danger to the former was averted, although at one time it seemed only too probable that the whole of the buildings used by Mr Bruce must be destroyed. The flour mills continued to burn with intense fierceness, and every now and then could be heard a crash indicating that a floor had given way, and the blazing debris had been deposited a storey lower. At this time many anxious enquiries were made about the boilers, the thought of these two huge iron machines exploding causing quite a panic, which, however, was soon forgotten when it became known that the steam had been shut off. Fortunately both boilers were saved from the general ruin, but the flour mills and theircontents resembled a huge bonfire more than anything else. The brigade continued to play upon the building until nearly midnight, by which time the flames were pretty well extinguished, the interior of the premises being filled with a mass of blackened smoking grain, sheets of corrugated iron, charred woodwork, and piles of costly machinery lying on the top of all or buried beneath it, utterly ruined and useless.

Positively 'nothing is known as to the origin of the fire. Mr jßruce was engaged in his yard until tea time, having gone through the building half an hour before the mill closed on the day and found everything safe, and nothing to indicate the presence of fire. While at his house preparing for tea, Mr Bruce was informed by his daughter that flames were breaking out from the roof of the mill, and on hurriedly running over the premises he found that the fire had already got too firm a hold to render the saving of any. of the grain stored in it practicable. The value of the building and machinery was estimated in February of last year at £13,000, and the stock destroyed includes (approximately) 6000 bushels wheat ; 130 tons flour ; 25 do. oatmeal ; 3 tons pearl barley : and between 2000 and 3000 sacks bushels of offal. The insurances on the building, stock, and machinery amount to £7OOO, made up as follows : —Union, £2OOO (£IOOO of which is re insured, £SOO in the Standard, and £SOO in the National) ; New Zealand Office, £3OOO (£IOOO on stock); London and Lancashire, £IOOO / South British, £IOOO. Mr Bruce is thus a very heavy loser by the disaster of Saturday his insurances covering little more than half the loss. To the working hands too the destruction of the flour mills is a very painful thing for they are thus suddenly turned out of employment at a time when both money and work are scarce. The brigade, under Capton. Amos, worked with, a will, and are to be congratulated on the way they have behaved at their first fire, certainly a sufficiently important one to have taxed the courage and skill of a very much older aud more experienced corps. Inspector Pender with his men did much to preserve order and facilitate the operations of the brigade. There was only one accident during the evening, Fite Inspector,Mr John Jackson,falling over some timber and dislocating his shoulder. Dr Macintyre was soon in attendance, and Mr Jackson was removed to his home., To-day the heaps of the blackened flour and grain within the roofless walls, fanned by a gentle breesso from the sea, were still alight in a good many places, and it will probably be some time before the fire dies out entirely.