FIRES.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 November 1918, Page 7

FIRES.

DISASTROUS FIRE IN WELLINGTON. GREAT DAMAGE DONE. .WELLINGTON, Nov 5. , A fire broke out in timber yards in Taranaki Street to-night, and destroyed a great quantity of building material. It is believed to f . have started in the : ‘Wellington Cooperage and Box Go’s yard. The timber was chiefly white pine. The fire also destroyed a big two-storey iron factory full of machinery. A two-storey brick factory occupied by the same company was completely destroyed. Miller’s West Australian Hardwoods Company lost practically all their stocks of timber, also a workshop, but the office was saved. The stock of timber in C. Slymon’s yard, and a large rack of mouldings, were completely destroyed. A great feature of the fire was the saving of Jessie Street from destruction. It is a narrow thoroughfare, lined on each side with two-storey wooden houses. The Brigade made a splendid fight, and after two hours’ hard work the danger to Jessie Street was averted. About 30 or 40 houses meanwhile had been stripped of furniture, and the Mayor-placed the Town Hall at the services of those whose homes were dismantled. No estimate can be given at present of the losses, but they must amount to many thousands sterling.