FIRE AT TIMARU.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 973, 24 May 1872, Page 3

FIRE AT TIMARU.

The cause of the late fire at Timaru has not yet been clearly ascertained. From the ' Timaru Herald' we learn that the entire block of buildings at the corner of Beswick street and the Main South road, with one exception, has been destroyed. The flames were first seen issuing from the back of the Ship Hotel, about half past three in the moraine;. A staircase which was outside the building, and led into tho upper billiard room was seen to be literally wrapped in a sheet of flame, this leading to the conclusion that the fire was -the work of an incendiary. The fire burnt itself out in about an hour and a-half, and in that time nine business places were destroyed. A more dangerous block in the event of a fire could hardly be conceived, the buildings being all of wood, closely packed together, and in its rear there was a pretty collection of closets, pigsties, and ramshackle outbuildings, which afforded the very best of fuel. The insurances taken out in-the different Insurance Companies were but small, as the block of buildings destroyed was the very bete noir of the insurance agents, being considered, and with reason, the most risky property in town. The men of the Fire Brigade worked well under their captain, Mr Cliff; but the appliances put into their hands were most wretched and contemptible. The hand-engine being perfectly inadequate to cope with anything of a blaze, and only adapted to squirt water on a building as a sort of cooling process.

The following is the approximate lo'ss of property, and actual liabilities of the various Insurance Companies:— Wallis, furjniture warehouse—Damaged by fire and water ; no loss of property. Insured in the New Zealand .Company for £SO. Square and Compass, Robert Taylor, proprietor—Total loss, Insured in the New Zealand Company, for .£2OO on buildings: in London and Lancashire, £2OO on stock-in-trade. Proprietor also loses small amount in addition. Old butcher's shop, used as storeroom by Messrs Green and Morrison —total loss. Insured in New Zealand Company for £SO. Ship Hotel —Total loss. Insured in New Zealand Company, for £-150. other losses to proprietors —property alone fully £1,000; loss on building over insurance, £20.0. « Gazette' office (T. W. Eyfe, landlord) —Building, total loss. Building insured in London and Lancashire, for £250; printing plant &c, in London Liverpool and Globe for £l90 —but little actual loss. Loss on building over insurance, £IOO. Price and Hartman, photographers, occupying premises over ' Gazette' office—Uninsured; great part property saved. Loss td proprietors, between £4O and £SO. Hutton's grocery store (T. "W. Pyfe, landlord) Total loss. Building insured in Victoria Compauy for £100; stock-in-trade uninsured, but the greatest portion saved. Loss on building over insurance, £IOO. Sheen, sailmaker Total loss of building; property, stock-in-trade, &c, saved. Building uninsured*. Loss, £l4O. Landlord, Mr Geo. Healey. Cockroft, watchmaker (G. Healey, landlord) —Total loss of building; both it and property uninsured. Everything saved. Loss on building, £l6O.

(For remainder of news see 4:t7i page.)