DRIED MILK INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8022, 8 January 1906, Page 3

DRIED MILK INDUSTRY.

THE FACTORY BURNED. In view of the recent establishment of J. Nathan and Co.'s dried milk factory at Bunnythorpe, arid the welcome that was given the new product both in the colonial and Home markets, the destruction of the works on Thursday morning is particularly regrettablo. The outbreak (says the " Manawatu Times") was discovered shortly after 2 a.m. by Messrs. Brown and Ritchie, two employees who sleep in a cottage adjoining the factory. A message was sent to the local post office, and an attempt was made to communicate with Palmerston, with a view to securing the services of the Fire Brigade, but communication could not be opened up. When the two men discovered the outbreak, the fire had got a good hold of the building, and it was found impossible to use the pump connected I with an artesian well which supplied the factory with wator, and nothing ciuld be done to save the building. There was a lot of machinery in the building, ineludiug the dried milk plant, a large lathe, and an engine, and in addition a quantity of dried milk was on the premises. The only sianding remiins of the factory are the steel smokestack and the brickwork connected with the Hornsby tube boiler; ovorything else lies on the ground, a conglomerated mass of engines, lathes, and galvanisod iron twisted into all sorts of shapes. The buiildings and plant wcro insured in tho Royal office for £6OOO, and the stock of dried milk in the Liverpool, London, and Globe office for £2OOO. No cause has beeu assigned for the outbreak. , Mr P. Nathan, manager for the firm at present, paid a flying visit to Bunnythorpe yesterday. Until the books aiu; gone into he cannot compute what the loss will be above insurances. He has cabled particulars of tho fire to the London office, and will await a reply before taking any stops in the direction of restoring the factory.—N.Z. Times,