HEAVY DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 April 1941, Page 6

HEAVY DAMAGE

EARLY MORNING BLAZE IN HAWERA BIG ESTABLISHMENT GUTTED. MOTOR AND MACHINERY DEPARTMENTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) HAWERA. This Day. Damage conservatively estimated at £25,000 was caused when a fire at ' five o’clock lliis morning gutted the Hawera branch motor and machinery departments of Newton King, Ltd. The complete destruction of the whole block of buildings, which fronts two streets, was obviated by the splendid work of the brigade and by a dividing ( wall which acted as a fire-break. Much damage was caused to adjoining offices, showrooms and stock rooms, although office plant and records were salvaged intact. Smoke and water damaged the premises in Union Street occupied by Osmond and Sons (cattle remedies), the showrooms and car stor- 1 age department of 11. H. Moller (Hawera) Ltd, and the offices of the Egrnont A. and P. Association. In addition to the heavy loss suffered by j Newton King, Ltd., a large number of ‘ clients lost cars stored for the night, Ihe losers including the Railways Do- 1 partment, which had a £1,200 road service bus in the premises and Parks White Star Service, which had a £l5OO vehicle. Part of the roof had already collapsed and flames were roaring skywards when the brigade received the alarfn, and the conflagration was the largest' and most destructive experienced in Hawera in the past decade. Among the salvaged stock were new cars manhandled from the building on to the footpath, through a collapsed showroom window. N