FIRES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 308, 30 December 1891, Page 8

FIRES.

Worsdell's house afc North East Valley, Dunedin, wa3 burned down on Dec. 7. It, was insured in the Norwich Union for £350.

A barn and byre at Hunua was destroyed by fire on Dec. 21. It belonged to Mr Daniel McNiel, a settler in the district. He estimates his loss at £135, aa he was not insured. The origin of the fire has not transpired.

On Dec. 22 a two-storey house in Tufcchen" street, Wellington, owned by H. Baker, and occupied by Hicks, was completely destroyed by fire, while a live-roomed house adjoining, owned by -Pilot Shilling, and occupied by Hewstone, was gutted. A large dwelling at Te Oreore, Wellington, owned and occupied by Mr Henry Percy, naa been destroyed by tire. The origin is a mystery. The insurances are : £1,500 on the building in the National, and £400 on the furniture in the samo office.

The large creamery known as Lang's, lateiy started at Waiuku, was burnt to the ground on Dec. 14th. Fortunately, one hundred boxes of butter were shipped the day previous. The whole of the building, plant, etc., was uninsured. It is proposed to re-e:ect the creamery. Two houses were burned down at Kuwakawa on Saturday, December 26th' One was the property of the Anglican Church and occupied by a man named Murray, and the other belonged to Mr Woolcock, of Whangarei, and occupied by Mra Wilson, who lo3t nearly everything. Murray's furniture was all saved. The cause of the fire i« unknown, but it otarted at Mrs Wilson's. Both houses are reuorted to be insured.

A fire occurred at Mrs Lennard's farm, Mangere, on Dec. 5, when a large barn, together with a 6-stall stable,-store room for harness, ploughs etc., was totally destroyed. Some men working on the farm saw flame arising from the building and ab once made a successful abterapb bo save some of the contents. The loss is chiefly confined to the building—straw and harness—which it is understood are covered by insurances

A fire broke out on December 27th at Wanganui in premises occupied by A. Johnston, bootmaker, Ridgeway-street. There were two other shopa in the block, occupied by A. J.Cr.bb, tailor, and J. Crane, baker, but Johnston was the only one who lived in the building. The insurance on the building, which belonged to the estate of C. A. Ashforth, was £400 in the Norwich' Union. Johnston's stock-in-trade and furniture were insured for £150 in the Commercial Union. Cribb's stock was insured for £*225 in the Imperial, and Crane for +J25 in the Standard. Johnston's premises are gutted, and the remainder of the buildings are partly destroyed. A fire broke out eai-ly on tha .morning of December lb'th at the premises of Mr Jones, fancy goods dealer, in Vic-boria-streeb, cluse to Hobson-sbreot, It was discovered about 4.50, when Mr Jonee rushed out on bo the verandah and called for help. Much of the etock consists of Japanese goods, and these and the dry wood-WOtk burnb like tinder. The insurance -on the stock was £300 in the Royal, and also £300 on the building. The fire broke out behind a partition in tho shop. Mr Jones states that when he went to bed there were no lights anywhere about the shop, or house. He suimises that some rats may have trot hold of a box of matches and set,"light to some inflammable material. Mr Jones was burnb out when in QueenStreet in the year ISS7. Investigation made by the police in connection with the tire has l6d to tho arrest of Jones on a charge of arson. On searching a house at Devonport, the detectives found a number of fancy articles, silver and gold jewellery,estimated to be worth about £100, also some deeds, and the Royal Fire Insurance policy, which would have expired on the 19th inst. The accused has been committed for trial.