POROUTAWHAO WORKS BURNT.

Shannon News, 15 January 1924, Page 3

POROUTAWHAO WORKS BURNT.

COMPLETELY DESTROYED LAST NIGHT.

HEAVY LOSS OVER INSURANCE

Mr J. M. Milne’s manure works at PoroutaWhao -were completely destroyed by fire, on Thursday night.

The outbreak was first discovered at 11.30 p.m. by Mr H. Smith, who is in charge of the works and resides close by. It then had a good hold and all that could be done with the limited water supply available was to prevent the fire from spreading to the house. . Mr Smith had last been in the building at 7 p.m. and'had been about outside until about 9. o’clock, when all semed well. The first notice he had of the fire was when he was awakened at 11.30 by the sound of crackling timber. The building and the stock, raw materials and machinery were totally destroyed. A large 5-seiater. motor car which had been left at the works by its owner after a breakdown a few days previously.' shared the same fate. The insurances on the works were £4OOO in the Alliance Assurance office, and the estimated value was between £7OOO and £BOOO, so that Mr Milnes is a heavy loser. The origin of the fire, remains a mystery. No work had been; carried on in the factory for some days.