A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 47, 20 March 1909, Page 2

A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

TJIE TOWN OF BULLS ALMOST DESTROYED. By Telegraph.— Press Association. •Martuii, Friday. A most disastrous lire occurred at Bulla lust night. The outbreak originated iu W. B. Clark's store, next to the I'ost Olliee, and had « strong Jmld before the alarm wan given. A liouth-easterly wind, accompanied by steady rain, was blowing nt the time, and the Unities thread ijuiekly tu a. blacksmith's ,-diop owned bv f. K.

Walker and occupied by 11, (Ireen. to Thomas King's olliee and the Kangitikei Dairy Co. All these ipveniiiH's were demolished. Fllorts to cheek the llamos

proved futile, and the lir<> spread to F. J. MaiiHell's ironmongery and crockcry store rooms; also the'dwollings at the back of the premises. The heat was torrilie. The I'ost Olliee, a new brick Jmilding, caught lire under the. .eaves, and strenuous ell'orts to stay the progress of the lliimes proved of no avail. The whole interior wan burnt, uuthing but the walls 'being left. At this time the buildings on the opposite side t»f the street in the direction the wind was Wowing were iu imminent danger. The premises of (lortou and Son and the Baqigilikei Hating Club's olliee caught, Imt the tire was extinguished 'by a bucket brigade.

F.H'orts were made to save the Town Hall, Imt it was burnt to tHo ground. An adjoining shop and dwelling, oiwni'd by Jlr. Man-ell, and occupied respectively by <l. Nicholson, bootmaker, and F. Paul, were burnt. The bucket brigade's attention was then turned to saving the tailor's shop ow.ncd by John Stevenson and occupied by Monks, on I ho north side of the I'o.-t Olliee. Fortunately its ell'orts were rewarded by the .building 'lieing saved, otherwise other buildings, including the pulilic library and Jones and Mctiregor's store, must have gone. Mansell and Son's store on the south end of the street also (escaped, tlie store being detached. Nicholson'* allowed lvjom for the ipubliu to .ex.ero.ise its energies, and by systematic working the lire was checked. It was fortunate that it stopped here for the Kangitikei: Hotel, the Hank of Xew Zealand and Bank of New South Wales and buildings adjoining wou'd have teen destroyed. Ollifcial records'at the Post Olliee and documents and letters were saved. A stock in. Clark's store, consisting ol

a new, large shipment of ;uituiiui ami 'whiter goods was burnt, tine loss being I heavy. I 'Mansoll and Son saved iln-ir stock, but it was damaged by vain anil re- ' moral. Their loss is estimated at 1 £iooo. Nicholson's stock anil «c|uipun'iit were saved. The building was insured I for £lO5 in the Northern, Clark's stove wan insured in tin; Victoria for £SOO, and the stock in the same oilier, for .€IOOO and £BOO in rjhc South British. Nicholson is a. heavy loser. The hliicksniith's shop owned by Walker was insured for .C 125 in 'tin 1 National, King's office for £125 in tin' same company, the Town Hall for £4OO in the National, and Manscll and Son's lnilk storeroom for ,£403 in the National. Albout 8 o'clock this morning an. outbreak occurred in three different bedrooms at the Rn-ngilikei Hotel at Bulls. Bedding and mattresses were burnt. The loss is estimated at aliout £l5O.