FIRE AT MR BOYD THOMSON’S BOILING – DOWN ESTABLISHMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 368, 31 March 1881, Page 2

FIRE AT MR BOYD THOMSON’S BOILING - DOWN ESTABLISHMENT.

At about 2 a. m. yesterday, the Boilingdown Establishment belonging to- Mr Boyd Thomson, near this township, was totally : destroyed by fire. On making, enquiries during the day we ascertained that at about the-hour above stated one of the six men in Mr Thomson’s employ* living’dear the spot, awoke through hearing a crackling noise. He immediately aroused his myites, but it was too late to save anything, and the building was soon level with the ground, the flames shooting upward with great fury whilst the fire lasted... Fortunately the vat and boiler were only slightly damagedThere were eighteen or twenty carcasses of sheep on the premises, killed, tbe previous night, 35 hides and several ready made casks. Mr Thomson estimates his loss at about £4OO, the whole of the property being uninsured. The origin of the fire is unknown and there is every reason to believe that it was the work of an incendiary, as there had been no fire on the -premises since the previous, Friday. A quantity of tallow, in casks, was taken from the establishment the day before to the railway station, to be conveyed to Timaru. Had it been otherwise Mr Thomson’s loss woujd have, been quite £l5O more. ..... . ~ ~■ .