LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3979, 9 July 1913, Page 5

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

FIRE IX AYF.I.HIXGTOX

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM] WELLINGTON, July 8. A fire broke out to-night about eight o’clock in the Otago Buffet, Lambton Quay, nearly opposite the police station. A strong northerly fanned the flames, which soon had a good hold of the building, which was an old wooden structure of two storeys. The fire worked through the Buffet, which was gutted practically from top to bottom, but its progress southward was stopped by the brick wall of Messrs Mackay’s three storey bookseller’s shop. Before the flames could be suppressed, however, they made headway in other directions against the wind and went through the top floor of a large wooden building adjoining occupied by _ Messrs Hood Bros., drapers, and Grimmett’s Lambton tea rooms. From there they entered the next buildings—Boucher’s cycle store—the upper floor of which, like Hood Bros., was gutted. Large volumes of water were poured on to the burning buildings, and the ground floor is sure to be swamped out and stocks ruined. On the ground floor of the Otago Buffet Building was also Bandinet’s tobacconist shop, which was gutted. The insurances are not yet ascertainable. The insurances are: Hood Bros. £2500 in the Yorkshire office on the stock, and a small amount in another office not ascertainable to-night; Boucher £3OO in the Yorkshire and £6OO in the Northern office on the stock and fittings; Grimmitt £275 on the stock and fittings in the Royal Exchange ; Paul (Otago Buffet) £3O on the furniture in the London, Liverpool and Globe.

' The Buffet building was owned by Messrs Hall and Knight. Hood Bros, and Grimmett’s by Messrs Gilmer and Maguire, and Boucher’s premises by Messrs Peacock and Campbell. The insurances on the buildings are not. yet ascertainable.