The main mill building was destroyed by fire in the early hours of Sunday, January 20, 1918. A very detailed contemporary description was reported in the Wangaratta Chronicle.
The text of this article is as follows:
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
'TARRAWINGEE FLOUR MILL' DESTROYED.
CAUSE UNKNOWN.
Mr. John Smith's roller flour mills at Tarrawingee were destroyed by fire at 3 o'clock on Sunday morning. The cause of the outbreak is unknown. The value of the buildings and plant is set down at £6500, and the amount of insurance was only £3600, so that Mr. Smith is a heavy loser.
All that remains of this district industry is part 'of the brick walls of the three storied building, a twisted heap of iron comprising the plant and the galvanised roofing, smouldering heaps of flour and wheat and charcoal.
The Tarrawingee flour mills were built about fifty years ago by Messrs Wm. and Thomas Shields, who carried them on for some years and then sold out to Messrs Graham and Wilson. At that time Messrs Graham and Wilson were running flour mills at Beechworth and Wangaratta, and were in a big way in business. Mr. Wilson will be well remembered as owner of "Home Station," Milawa. Later this firm disposed of the mills to Mr. James Tinning, who conducted them for a while. After his death the executor leased the mills to Mr. Alex. Clements, who at the expiration purchased the North-Eastern flour mills at Wangaratta from Mr. Geo. Phillipson. Mr. J. Smith, J.P., then purchased the mills for £1200 from the estate of Mr. Tinning, This was about thirty years ago, and the mills then comprised the old style plant.
Fifteen years ago, Mr. Smith, in order to keep pace with the times and his competitors in the business, installed a now plant of modern design. It was on the patent roller principle. As above stated the building was of three stories. On the top floor was erected four centrifugal flour dressers, bolting reel, zig-zag wheat cleaning separator. On the middle floor was located two purifiers, three scalpers, smutter, and brush machine. The ground floor carried four sets of double rollers, bran packer, ten sets of elevators, wire dresser, set of Fairbank's scales and other appliances.
The whole of this fine plant lies an unrecognisable heap on the ground floor, The main building constructed in brick is 55 feet long, by 25 feet wide, but about 35 feet of the front wall has collapsed, and the ends are unsafe. The grain store was built in timber and iron, and when the flames secured a hold on it they consumed it and destroyed the contents, In this store there were 3000 bags of flour, 43 bags of wheat, belonging to Mr, D, Gardner (Milawa) and 30 bags, the property of Mr, Alf, Bennett (Everton), and a set of Avery scales. On Monday afternoon the heap of flour was still burning and throwing a terrific heat. The 3000 bags of flour was the property of the Government Wheat Commission, which allowed Mr. Smith to grind up the wheat and sell the flour providing he stored the flour. Mr, Smith did this but specified that the Commission was to accept all the risks. Whether or not the flour was covered by insurance Mr, Smith cannot say, Last week Mr, Smith sent away 450 bags of flour, and 300 bags are stacked at the Tarrawingee railway station, besides which he has about 500 bags stacked in a shed distant only about 20 feet from the mill site, The wheat delivered by Messrs Gardner and Bennett was left at the mill at their own risk, as Mr. Smith informed them that he had not been appointed a receiving agent. Quantities of bran and screenings were also consumed, The mill was driven by a suction air gas plant, which in addition was used to provide lighting for the mill and for Mr. Smith's private residence. This plant comprised a 50 h.p. engine, suction gas plant, generator and scrubber, and 2k h.p, dynamo. There was a stack of 15 tons of charcoal stored in the engine shed which was 50 feet by 35 feet in dimension, with brick walls and galvanised iron roof, A large quantity of tools was also destroyed, 'Mr. Smith kept a man employed continuously bringing in supplies of charcoal for the plant. 'The office was situated in front of the grain store, and in it was an iron safe containing the ledger, letter book and documents. The safe was extricated on Sunday, when it was found that the great heat had also somewhat twisted it out of shape. It could not be unlocked , and Mr. Smith is arranging to have it forced open.
The fire was first observed by Mrs Smith and her daughter at 1.45, and they awakened Mr. Smith, He ran to the office to try and get out the safe, but was met at the door by a tongue of flame reaching out fifteen feet, and so was unable to enter. The flames had a secure hold of the whole building then, and were leaping from the rooftop. Mrs. Smith and her daughter had their attention attracted by the roar of the fire, Other residents soon arrived, but were unable to do anything, the flames being permitted to complete their destructive work. The Roof roof soon collapsed, followed by a portion of the brick wall, and as the upper floors were eaten away by the devouring flames the valuable plant would crash to the ground floor. The reflection lit up the sky for miles around, The flames even burnt out the stand under one of two 100 gallon water tanks used in connection with the suction gas plant, and this tumbled to the ground with a deafening crash. The mill delivery waggon was badly damaged before being drawn out, but a stack of 100 cords of firewood standing within ten feet of the blazing mill was saved, after it had ignited several times and been extinguished by willing workers. One' of the first to arrive was Mr, Jim Thomson, a woodcutter for the Cock's Pioneer Mine, and he was followed by Messrs Harry and Tom Nolan, Jin Cabassi, and D. Mclntyre. Fortunately the breeze was blowing from the south, thus carrying the flames away from the flour store and private house. At one stage, however, it looked as if these buildings would catch, and a commencement was made with the removal of the furniture from the house; but luckily the wind again vered round and saved the situation. Soon after daylight other residents commenced to arrive and give assistance. Members of the Tarrawingee bush fire brigade came along, Messrs G,.and W, Kay, Messrs Stewart Bros. with a water cart and pump, Mr. James .Quinn with a water cart and pump, Messrs W. Hourigan, H. Bull,' I. King, W, Connell and others. They confined their attention to the burning stack of flour, and some hundreds of gallons of water were poured onto it from the well nearby.
Mr. Smith recently had 'the rollers re-cut and re-ground so as to be in readiness to deal with this season's grain, The mill roller plant as put in by Mr. Smith 15 years ,ago cost £4250, and the suction gas plant £800, and the buildings were valued at £1200, The insurance with the Royal Insurance Co., for which Mr. Smith is agent, was £2000 on the plant, £1000 on the grain store and mill, and £600 on the suction gas plant, and engine shed, The mill had been idle for two weeks, but flour and offal .were being removed and trucked away. Mr. Smith was in the office at 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and he then left everything secure and to all appearances perfectly safe. How the fire originated is a mystery. Mr. Smith will be a very heavy loser, and ow-ing to the high cost of machinery and difficulty in securing it Mr. Smith does not for the present at least intend re-establishing the mill, This will be a loss to the Tarrawingee district, as the mill gave employment to a good few hands in the busy season.