FIRES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4353, 26 April 1884, Page 4

FIRES.

A Finß occurred at Christchurch on April 7, by which a four-roomed cottage was destroyed. A 12-roomed houso in Christchurch, oceu>iccl by Mr Sorenson, was destroyod by firo in Monday, April 7. A houflo owned and occupied by H. B. Soreneon, Richmond, Canterbury, was destroyed by fire on April S. J. L. Rees's coach factory at Kcinbortown Road, Fielding, was destroyed by hre on April 1. A house at Waiwera belonging to Antonio Russak, Puhoi, was totally destroyed by fire on April 1. A grocery shop and dwelling at tho corner of Colombo-street and Hally Road, Christchurch, was burned down on April 12. An unoccupied houso at Port Chalmers, bolonging to Mr Gray, was burned down on April 18. The wool-shod on Drawer's estate,\\ aipuleurau, was burned down on April 17, Nothing was saved. The Rountree slaughter • yard, Christchurch, was destroyed by lire on April 15. The insurances amount to £300. An old building at Avonal, Invorcargill, formerly used as tho Governor Grey Hotel, was burned down on April 13. A firo took place at Palmerston North, Wellington, on April 14, which destroyed an oight-roomod houso owned and occupied by MrsColeman. On Thursday night, April 17, tho stablos and barn at J. Mclntosh's Hotel, Invorcargill, wore burned down, ono horse being killed. Tho hotol narrowly escaped. A six-roomed houso in Wellington belonging to Geo. Dixon was burned down on tho 25nd April. Insurances, £100 in Equitable and National offices. A throo-roomod houso belonging to Kobt. G-. Anderson, station-master, at Burkos, Dunedin, was destroyed by lire on Sunday morning, April C. A seven-roomed houso at Renwicktown, bolonging to Mr Bridon, and used for storing whoat, was totally dostroyed by faro on April 2. Tho cause of tho firo is unknown. About 300 bushels of wheat wore burned. . . The bottling houso in connection witii Mossri. McGraid, McGregor, and Smiths brewery, at the Leith, Dunedin, was destroyed by fire, togother with some other outhouses on April 14. Tho damage done isestimated at £1,200. Tho wall-papers in ono of tho bedrooms in Barker's Criterion Hotol, Weatport, caught firo from a candlo loft burning when the proprietor's children went to bed. Half-a-dozen rooms woro guttod beforo the fire was got under, and tho whole building and tho block had a narrow escape. A six-roomed house at Parawai, Thames, bolonging to Rawiri, was burned down on April G. It was uninhabited, but used as a storohouao. Tho houso is valuod at £190, and tho stores, such as potatoes, flour, hay, etc., at £50. Nothing was saved, and thoro woro no insurance. Tho causo is supposed to have been spontaneous contraction. Scarcoly has Tawhiao gone bofore ho has suffered loss by firo at Whatiwhatihoo. On Good Friday evening, iiro broko out in tho wharo of To Tulii, from a candlo left burning by Mrs Tuhi Atiria (Tawhiao's sister). Atiria had a good deal of tho king's proporty, heirlooms principally, in caro, which were destroyed. All her own property with tho oxcoption of tho clothes aho had on nro gono in tho iiro. Shortly boforo 11 a.m. on April 21, a fourroomod uottago, situated at the lower end of Brighton Road, Parnoll, was destroyod by firo. Tho cottage was owned by Mr Samuel White, and was in tho occupation of a man named Daniel McGoary. There was a firo of light wood burning in tho trout room, and it is supposed that some sparks from this ignited tho woodwork near tho fireplace. None of tho furniture was saved. By the timo tho newly-formed Pnrnell Firo Brigade arrived they were too lato to be of any service A honso of nine rooms, owned by iMr Francis Croighton, and situated about soven miles distant from Papakura, was burned to the ground on tho 21st April. Everything in tho building was destroyed, including a new piano and valuable furniture. When the outbreak was first discovered, tho roof, a short distance from tho chimney, was in flames, which speedily spread and consumed the house. The building was insured, but tho owner will nevertheless bo a loser by the occurrence. A lire occurred soon after one: o clockn 'n.« jm Saturday. April 12. nnd resulted in tho rtostrm.tion of a bakohousc, stables, aiul stoieroom in Ponsonby Komi. beloneinß to Goorw William Whitcombe, baker, and also a ■» t.)i houso. tho property of-Hruoo hloy 1. {he lire, which is supposed to have priKmntcd i. the b «. house, was llrst discovered by OopiKo » cminiKton nightman, who aroused Mr \\ hitcoinbo, and . "nv-th admirable forcthoiiKlit removed Iho horses from tlio Btuble at tho rear. Nothing could be done to bovo the property inquest on but the efforts of tho Ponsonby coutmxer.t of hFire Brigade prorontcd the lire extending to tho ndiucont promises. Tho Auckland firo Urigado was early on tho scone, but its services wcro not called into roqmaltioii. About 1 o'clock a.m. on Monday, April 14, (i largo block of buildings in Day street, Invercartcill, between Mossra Stock & Co. 8 and tho Supremo Court, was burned down. Tho firo is supposed to havo originated in Messrs Yule and Co.1* drapery warehouse. Mr Allen, shoemaker, and Mr Bailey, chemist, were also burned out, but eavod some of thoir stock. The flames spread to tho building originally the Bank of New South Wales, which was occupied by Mr \V. Scott, carpet-makor, and woro only with difficulty kept from catching tho Courthouse. Tho loss, which is considerable, is pretty well covored by insurance. Another extensive firo occurred in Taystreet, Invorcargill, on Monday morning, the 21st Aprjl, when tho Theatre Royal, the Provincial Hotol and Catholic schoolhouse woro burnt down. Tiio alarm was fir ß t given by a lodger in tho hotel, who was aroused by tho persistent howling of a doc chained in tho yard. Tho inmates all got out safely. The firo began in tho Theatro, which had not been occupiod since tho Salvation Army left it some weeks ago. The flamos quickly spread to tho hotel which adjoined the Theatro, and thon on another side, the old building formerly known as the Mechanics' Institute. Tho Brigade wa° soon at work, but with a limited water supply, could do nothing but protect the threatened buildings A portion of tho furniture was removed from tho hotel, and a billiard table from the saloon. A small structuro alongside used by Cockorill and Co., implementmakers' office, was also destroyed. Tho recent fatal firo at Parnell has had the effect of rousing tho denizens of that suburban borough to their duty in regard to the extinction of conflagrations ; and the newspaper discussion on tho subject of tho duties of the City Corporation has led to provision being made for tho protection of tho Ponsonby Ward. In Parnell a firo brigade of 12 men haa been formed. The members of this brigade are to have power to oloct their own officers, but the plant is to be under tho chargo of tho Council s waterworksofficors. ThoPonaonby body is on auxiliary firo brigade to act in conjunction with tho city brigade, under tho samo rules and conditions. It consists of six men, with Mr Goo. Smith, an experienced fireman, as acting foreman. The station is supplied with a hose reel and fire-escape ladder, together with hose and .other necessary appliances. Ono of the men is to sleep at the station, which will be connected by telephone with tho central firo brigado station, so that an alarm can be at* once given and tho locality of a fire known with certainty. News was rocoivod in town on Wednesday, April IG, that a firo had broken out tho previous night in Mr John Smyth's Bawihill at Waitekerei, noar Auckland, resultingln the total destruction of tho builds ings and a quantity of timber. Mr Smyth arrrived in Auckland by tho aftornoon train. He informs us that the mill was working up till about six o'clock. The foreman, William McGee, lived within a chain of tho right-hand side of the building, and three or four of the men resided within a chain on the other side. At 10.30 that night, when the foreman turned in, there was no appoaranco of tho firo. At 2.30. in the morning ho was aroused b,y pnp oi the men on the ltiffc-haiid side shouting '"Firo I*' Lboking'but, he saw tho roof of the opginehouso and mill on firo. Without putting on his clothes ho rushed into the mill, but had to como back again, tho smoke being so donso that ho could noither sco nor do anything. In a vory few minutCß tho wholo roof of tho mill was ablazo. About 25 hands mustered, and water was poured on the fire at the rato of 50 buckets a minute, a pipe all tho while running a supply into a tub, into which the men dipped their buckets. Nothing could bo done to Bavo the mill, which wap destroyed with all its contents, not oven a tool being saved. Tho flames extended o the timber which surrounds tllftt": ,iuing. The men worked all night unceasingly tryto extinguish the fire, but it waß not until 11 o'clock next day that they got \t in check, The. engine- hau.se was congfrupted of iron "and ih »ill of wood. The premises were three years old, and cost over 38,500. A polioy of £300 in the ViQtorian office is the only insurance Mr Symth did not insure further, thinking himself perfootly safe. It is estimated that about 20,000 feet of timber valued at £60 or £7G was oonsumed. The total loss over and above the insurance will be £2,500, ; while some of the workmen also lose their tools, .... ' ...