FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 212, 15 February 1915, Page 5

FIRES.

A FLOUR-MILL DESTROYED. Dunedin, February 13. ■llarraway and Sons' flour-mill at Green Island was destroyed by Are carlj this morning The mill and contents arc a total loss. Adjoining tlie mill la a store, which was saved, but the contents were damaged. The cause of the fire is unknown. Tli6 mill was closed at 5 o'clocK yesterday. Insurance, "£ 10,0-15 in the Commercial Union, largoly reinsured in local offices.

OUTBREAK IN A HOTEL. By Telegraph. —Press Associaton. Oamaru, Last Night. A fire was discovered at 3 a.m, in the Star and Garter Hotel of 72 rooms, Mrs Harvey lessee. Apparently the fire started in an unoccupied bedroom upstairs, and the flames had a big hold when the alarm was given. A furious north-easter was blowing and when the brigade arrived the upper storey, in the centre of the building was an inferno. Fortunately, as the fire was at its height, the wind lulled prepartory to chopping round to the north-west, and the brigade gained the mastery, otherwise the whole . block in the centre of one of the business portions of the town, could not have been saved. The whole of the upper story and a third floor of bedrooms was clean swept. Fortunately there were few visitors at the time. The inmates escaped with very little, several in only their night attire, and there were several narrow escapes. Everything in the ; lower storey was seriously damaged by water.

The North Otago Club had rooms in the building, and G.. M. Procter (chemist), and Robson (fruiterer), were ; tenants of a part. All the property of these was irrevocably destroyed by water, and they are heavy losers. The Star and Garter block was owned -by Peymans' Estate (England), and is administered by the Perpetual Trustees I (Dunrdin). The insurances on the builtli i'ng arc not yet available, but Mrs Har- ! vey's furniture was insured for £750 in the Standard Co.; Proctor had fftOO on the stock and £2OO on the fittings ( £350 in the South British and £75.0 in the National). Robson'« stock and the North Otago Club furniture were insured for small amounts.

SOAP WORKS DESTROYED, Napier, Last Night. Shortly after mid-day to-day, the Hawke's Bay Soap and Tannery Company's works at Awatoto, covering-two acres, three miles from Napier, were totally destroyed by fire. It is stated the fire started in a bone shed at the south end of the works. The wind was blowing from that direction, and swept the flames through all the buildings. Within ten minutes the whole place was ablaze, sending- up volumes of dense black smoke. The Napier Fire Brigade went out and did good work, although the lire "had. too great a hold and little was saved. A large quantity of hides, soap and materials was destroyed. The soap works, stock and buildings connected therewith, were insured in the Phoenix, Norwich and Commercial Union for £1223 fls 8d in each office, but the insurance on the tannery department is not available. The whole works were valued at about £BOOO to £IO,OOO.

FIRE AT POWER HOUSE. Gisborne, Last Night. A fire at the Municipal power house at 8 o'clock on Saturday night plunged the town in darkness, many of the . largest shops having recourse to candles, while the picture theatres were unable to show. An hour later temporary repairs enabled the lights to be switched on again, and permanent repairs were effected this morning. The damage is not very heavy, and is covered by in—suraneo in the South British office.

FIRE IN A BREWERY. Gisborne, Last Night. At an early hours this morning a fire broke out in D. J. Barry's brewery, the packing shed being completely destroyed, while the pasturising room and bottling department sustained damage. The loss in bottles, corks, capsules, labels and machinery is heavy. One hundred and eighty cases of beer packed for export were destroyed, and a similar quantity unpacked was also lost. The insurances o n this section of the brewery arc £7OO on the building and £2IOO on the stocks and machinery, in various offices. It is impossible to estimate the damage as yet. But for the brigade's good work, the whole of the brewery would have gone.

If your property is not insured, call at or ring up the United Insurance Co., Ltd., Currie Sifast; telephone 190. J. C. Spedding, <3io Iriit agent. Insurances effected on the most favorable terms.—