FIRE AT RAETIHI.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 July 1919, Page 5

FIRE AT RAETIHI.

._.___..9—_—FOUR SHOPS DESTROYED. V STABLE GUTTED. At one vo’clocl~: on Sunday morning a. fire broke out at Raetihi. The fire started in Wong Mong’s grocery and fruit shop, opposite the Post Ofiice. and quickly sfiread to the zidjourning shop, occupied by Mr Charnock, and used as a furniture shop, Thence it took hold of the two other adjacent shops, both used by M 1" Charnock, as showroonis, and they were quickly a mass of blazing ruins. Mr \V."TVatson’s, tobacconist. and billiard fiiom, were the next to go, but a brick wall SClllC\"llD.t retarded the tire, and Mr Watson vas enabled to scilvage nearily Mll 1.‘..~.: fi3o.rtab‘lé g'oo(ls, but e\'ery»'tllixlg else ‘.~.'t.ls destroyed. Goodgeris stables caught, alight, and considere.b'le damage was done thereto. The Picture Theatre, built in concrete, stayed the further Spread of the fire. Mr W'a*tson is well known in :Ta.ihape, and regret is expressed by his large circle of friends here at his loss, as h-e had only lately started in business. V Mr Churnock was in \V:lll_<_:‘anui when the tire occurred. and on ‘~'CCC-ipi'.Oi'3 the news motored through to Taihape, intending to go right through m—"Raetilli, but’ was «lissumled from making the attempt. owing to the iiiipasszlble na’U':'«3 of the road. In conservation with our rt-porter, he stated that previous to the fix-c, he lmd lflltl out his Sl’lC\‘.'l‘Oo‘m.S with his most e:~:pc-r:.<ive furniture and l‘;O1lS(‘ll0l(] t’.urllisllin;l‘s, making 3. big display in lrcuour of Peace Celebrations. In addition to his usual heavy stock‘; there had just lirrived {£7oo worth of goods. -which had not been unpacked. He V owned three shops, occupied by himself, as well as the one used by Mr W'atson. He was also on the eve of buying the shop rented by \‘;’o;l,c_r Ztlwong. He was unable to estimate his loss until he «got home. but estimated it would be about £I2OO in excess of the insurances. The total lossby the fire is believed to be in :the vicinitv of ‘£sooo. but up to the time of going toipress no details of insurrmees were obt-ainable... The cause of the fire is unknown. T-‘or Coughs and Colds.’ never‘ fails. Woods’ Great Peppermint cure, V ;