FIRE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 48, 27 February 1915, Page 6

FIRE

Per Press Association,

Taumarunui, February 27

Ellis and Burnard’s box factory at MlOfianui was burnt down early this morning. The fire was observed by a watchman at 3 a.,m., when he blew the mill whistle to alarm the mill officials, The men - turned out quickly, and worked hard to save the factory with water from the Taumarunui high pressure main. The fire was prevented from spreading to the adjoining mill. The damage done is about £20,000, including 400,000 feet dressed "white pine ready for shipment, butter boxes, fruit, cases etc, and also some very valuable machinery. About 30 men, “'mostly young and unmarried,are thrown out of employment. The amount of insurance has not yet "been ascertained. The fire among the timber in the box factory is still burning, but the large stocks of timber in the yard are safe. The factory supplied many , dairy companies throughout the Dominion with their boxes. Four years age a very similar fire occurred, which destroyed a former box factory on the same site.