FIRE AT NEWTON.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 204, 29 August 1910, Page 6

FIRE AT NEWTON.

FOUK-EOOMED HOUSE BURNED. A fire broke out in a iour-roomed two-storeyed house in South-street, Newton, "at about three o'clock yesterilay morning. The bouse, -which was owned by Mrs Schofield, of Pa-patoetoe, ■was tenanted by Mr Pv. O'Neill, who lived in it with his wife. Air O'Neill had been out on Saturday night, but at 10.15 he returned home, and went to bed, -without anything amiss. About three o'clock." however, he was awakened by crackling noises, and he found the bedroom full of smoke. He and his wife made an attempt to get dawn stairs, but were unable to do so on a-ccount of the smoke, and had to make their escape by way .of a. window • opening on to tlie verandah, and from the verandah to the ground by 'way .ol a rope ladder. There was no time to save any of the con-tents of the house. -The <3Hsy> Fire Brigade - arrived on the scene soon after tEe fire -was discovered, and were not long in getting the fire under. It appeared that the fire had originated in the front sitting-room on the ground "floor, for the room Tvas compicUly gutted". The walls of the kitchen ■were also slightly 'burned, and the upstairs rooms were more or less damaged Iby smoke and water. There is no gas in the house, and. there had been no lire in the "front room, so that. the origin ol the ■outbreak is .difficult to acc-ount for. Mr O'Neill had intended to move out of the house to-day, and most of his effect* were collected in-the front room. Consequently the greater part of tbem : he consider?, have been 'burned. The furniture was insured for £10C in the Norwich Union office. The fla.7na.gt to the hou3e is estimated a-t about £50