ANOTHER FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 161, 9 July 1888, Page 5

ANOTHER FIRE.

loss, OVER £3,000.

A few days ago we were apparently in the midst of an epidemic of suicide, which has now apparently given place to an epidemic of conflagration. Scarce a day passes thab vro have not to record one moro instance of serious destruction of property through the machination of tho fire fiend. The latest fire occurred early yesterday morning in Queen-sbreet, when the boob shop of Messrs Jamieson and Co. (late Weafcpfahl's) was gutted, and the adjoining shops of Messrs Dalton, tailor, and Shackelford, hatter and mercer, sustained great damage.

The fire was discovered at about 3.5 a.m. by • Constable Adaison. He had just crossed from the east to the west side of the street near Darby-street, and proceeded as far aa the Albert Hotel, when he noticed smoke issuing from Messrs Jamieson's premises, at the back. The constable at once sounded his whistle, and sent a cab off bo apprise bhe Fire Brigade of the outbreak. Superintendent Hughes and his firemen were speedily in attendance, and found that the fire had gutted the rear of Jamieson's, and obtained an entry into Dalbon's work - room by the openings of the barred windows. A good force of water was soon got on the fire, but nob before it had also spread to the roof of Mr Shackelford'b shop, thereby necessitating the flooding of these premises with water.

No cause is as-signed for the fire. Mr Jamieson left hiß shop at 9 on Saturday night, and it was closed shortly after 10 by Mr C. Westpfahl, who left the key at the Albert Hotel, in accordance with his usual custom.

Jamieson's stock was insured for £1,250— £850 in the South British, and £400 in the Roya], whilst the fittings were insured in the National for £100. Their gross los 3 probably amounts to the total of the insurance.

Mr J. 11. Dalton's stock was also completely saturated with water, a valuable consignment of German tw>-kI, the first of the kind imported hero, being almost completely ruined. He had £150 worth of orders ready to start on this morning, His insurance is £200 in the Royal and £200 in the South British, and he estimates his loss beyond that umount. Mr Shackslford's stock and fixtures were insured in the New Zealand Office for £1000, of which £500 was reinsured in the National. The stock was valued at £1,400, and being quite clean and new, was well worth 20s in the £. The damage is entirely by water ; the place was completely swamped, hardly a shelf being dry, while even one of the windows containing mercery was flooded. Mr Shackelford did not hear of the fire until seven o'clock yesterday morning. The buildings were leased by Coupland and Co. from the Oddfellows' Society, and were insured in the South British for £800.

Insurances on the buildings are: On Jamieson's £300, Dalton's £400, and Shackelford's £400. The damage to the latter, however, is purely nominal. THE FIRE AT LEVINSOHN'S. In our account of the fire in Lower Queenstreet on Saturday evening which gutted the shops of Messrs Levinssohn and Sanford, we omitted to state thab a building at the rear of Levinsohn's, which was occupied as a flour store by Messrs Moir and Co., a Southern firm of millers, was also gutted. The stock was insured for £820 in the Victoria Office and £200 in the Phcenix, while the damage is estimated at from £600 to £700,