FIRE AT HASTINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1917, Page 8

FIRE AT HASTINGS.

IHUIT COOL STORAGE WORKS DESTROYED. .VERY HEAVY DAMAGE. Eastings,' April 29. At 12.30 yesterday morning the police discovered a fire at the Hawke's Bay Fruit Cool Storage Works. Although the brigade was promptly on the scene, it was found impossible to effect a save, and the wloho of the fine building and plant were reduced to smouldering ruins. The works, which were formally opened Ay the late Hon. Br. MeNab, in .February, 1914, cost £IO,OOO, and their deEtruction will be a serious blow to fruit growers, who are now deprived of the means of cool storing their fruit. At the time of the fire between twenty-two and twenty-three thousand cases of apples and pears —the largest stock the. company has yet held — were in the cool chambers, most of whicn, it is expected, were damaged by water and steam. The cause of the fire \s unknown. The engineer left all apparently safe at 10.30 ' p.m. Great danger was caused by exploding ammonia cylinders. One cylinder penetrated the wall of a building 30 feet distant. Messrs Apsev and White rented two cool chambers, in which they had £SOOO worth of fruit.

THE INSURANCES. Hastings. Last Night. The following are the insurances on H, B. Cool Storage Company's works:— Buildings of the value of £IO,OOO, in-, suranee £ISOO in Phoenix office and £SOOO in the United; 22,030 eases of fruit, valued at £7OOO, insurance £2BOO in the United office; machinery valued at £3OOO, insurance £iK6O in the United office: furniture and stationery valued at £BOO, insurance £2OO in the United office. Total value, £20,300; total insurances £11,750. The fire represents a total loss, with the exception of 5000 cases of fruit.