FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 189, 21 August 1901, Page 2

FIRES.

SERIOUS OUTBREAK AT WELLINGTON PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Wellington, August 20. A fire broke ou~ a 4 o'clock this morning on the top floor of Mr. Jacob Joseph's five storey warehouse on Lambton Quay, of which the ground floor is occupied by the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association, the two next floors by the Government (Labour Department Valuation and Census Offices and Official Assignee) and the Conciliation Board's rooms, and the top floors by the W.F.C.A. for merchandise, chiefly chaff and the like. The two two top fl its were gut te I, but the damage in the lower portions of the building were confined to that by water. The building was insured io the Commercial Union for .£BOOO, and fittings and fixtures in the same office for £IOOO. Five thousand of the to'al amount was re-insured as follows:—New Zealand, £1500; Royal, £1000; Liverpoo', and Globe, £1000; San ard, Rovnl, and Vic toria, £SOO each. The Wairaiaps Union's stack wns insured in the Phoenix for £5300, which amount ha 6 bam reduced by re-insurance to £2300. This morning's fire entails a seri-.u* loss to two public departments. The Census Department had 52 clerks employed in the details of its work, and all the information used by them that would be of value to tht> Old Age Pensions Office, Government Insurant Department, betides other data, are irreplnceably destroyed. The Valuation Department had from 20 to 40 men engaged on the work coonocted with the valuation of numbers two and three districts, extending from Now Plymouth on the one side and East Cape oa the other right down to Marlborough and the W. at Coast goldfHdn. A large part of their piper', which were set out in the offices, were reduced to pulp, and otber pirts will! have to be re-written at great < xpntist\ Tbere was considerable loss also in th Official Assignee's office. The Fire Brigade worked admirably in checking the fire.