THE FIRE AT TOKOMAIRIRO.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 402, 24 January 1872, Page 5

THE FIRE AT TOKOMAIRIRO.

On Friday aftfirnoon a very destructive fire took place in Milton, by which l\£r Langley's stables, at the rear of the Whi'e Horse Hotel, were totnlly destroyed. About, 20 jninutes to one o'clock, a few minutes after the Tuapeka and Balclnrha coaches had left, «* boy in Mr Langlev's employ, gave the alarm to fho mas Martin] who iusmlv callpd out rhp always alarming cry ot " Fire /" " Fire ! " Smoke at this time was observable issuing out. of a sra illwindow in the gable of the stable facintithe nor'h-east. and fortunately, the light air of wind was then blowing from the south-west. Every exertion was used in the first place by those earliest arrived to get the horses out and as much of the stable furniture as possible. Fortunately, these exertions resulted in the saving of all the horses save one, a mare, which, owing to her fractiousness, could not he jrot adrift before the fire forced Mr Langley himself to abandon her. The fire had evidently begun in the lofr, hut from what cause, it is impossible to tell. A considerable quantity of oaten sheaves, last year's crop, and a small quantity of new made oaten hay had been packed int<i the loft two days before, but nothing indicating 1 the presence or smouldering of fire had been observed until the lad gave the first alarm. From the first start of the fire it was apparent that the building itself w:is doomed, so that every effort was directed to prevpnt it extending to the contiguous buildings. A range of low buildings ran along from the north-easr cornpr of the stable towards the ho'el, and in these were stored a considerable quantity of oats, belonging to Co l >b and Co. As it was evident that in this direcion the fire raged fiercest and must extend, it was resolved that porrion of this building should be removed so as to form a gap, and a very few minutes whs suflLuVnt to accomplish this, as the dozens of willing and energetic bunds soon bad the building and its contents removed to the •middle of die street. Shonlv after the rnof of tliß burning building fell in, the wind chanjjeii round and blew the fire towards Oobb and Co's stables, when a battle of the most determined kind took place between the two elements — water against fire — the former supposed well and ably by enthusiastic workers of all degrees, females as »yell as males; and the latter fanned and strengthened by an increasing breeze. For a few minutes if was thought that the fire would obtain the mastery, and orders were given to have a portion of the building in danger pulled down. However, by constantly playing upon the end, which was only some ten feet from the burning building, with the hose from the force pump and a constant succession of buckets ot wafer kept poured on the roof and applied to the boards from inside as well as outside* the building was saved) and the work of destruction sopped ; bur so narrowly was this effected that afterwards it was found that the boards were charred almost through. At the first outbreak, the hose that Mr Langley uses for washing his horse?. &c, was immediately attached to the force pump) and assisted materially in checking and keeping down the fire, and we could not help thinking that if every dwelling house were possessed of as good and sufficient wells mounted with force pumps ami hose similar to what Mr Langley has, a very effi:ient and convenient means would always be at bund to aid in checking or extinguishing a fire if caught in time. The estimated loss to the proprietors, Messrs Son'ter, Hislop, and Gray, will be ahoutL 300, covered, ho -ever, by insurance to the extent of L2OO in ihe London, Liverpool and Globe Insurance Company. Mr Langley estimates his loss at L 275, none of his property being insured.

An inqwesr was held ypstprdav morning") before the Coronei 1 , Mr J. P. Mstitland.

The jury having- been empanelled and sworn — .

Fred. E. Webb was called, s\vorn, and stated he was groom, in th* employ of Cliaplin and Co., at the staMps, White Horse* Remembered last Friday) 19th Jsiminryj was working 1 at the stables Had just come out from dinnpr; was at the stable door after dinnpr. tt would be about half-past one 4 Heard Lincrley's boy making a noise ; did not understand him. Looked up at the roof of Lantjlev's stables and saw smoke rising from the roof at the end nearest the road; heard the cry- of fire..' Thomas Martin, Thomas Aifken and Mr Turner rushed irt'O the stables and managed to g-et the horses and other things out of the stablei I helped afterwards with others to put ou f tho firfl. One mare, "Beauty," hay, and other things were burnt, beside stable and loose boxes. The store between hodse and stable was cut. down and torn away* and the fire eventually pot under.. I have no idea of the origin of the fire. I saw no one in the loft that day ; saw no one about.

Walter Smith, age 13.— The coroner having ascertained thathe understood the nature of an oath* administered it, and he gave evidence as follows >— I work in Langley's stables. Last Friday was,working about stables all 1 forenoon ; got dinner about 12 o'clock ; afrep dinoeV went. Back to stables. When' l heard the crackling 1^

of straw and saw smoke coming out of the roof at the end n*-xt the road, T crted out "Fire! " and rah and told F. Webb who was in the hou3e, nnd Tom Parsons and Dan, '.he groom, who were in the buggy shed. Tom Parsons, Mr Langley and mvsplf were in the loft about h-aH-an-hour before dinner sifting oats, just at the door ar the pnd next Chaplin and Co r s stables — the o'her end was filled with oats, hay, and straw. I did not see or feel any sisrns of fire. No one was smoking there. We were in the loft stbou 1 : a quarter of an hour. There was no one in the stable when I wpnt to dinner ; D>»n and I went together. We got our dinnpr in the room nexi to the kitchen. Tom Parsons, Fred Webb, and Tom Aitken were in the room at dinner. T know another maD called George* who feeds 'he pigs, v&c. Ido not remember seeing him in the house at dinner-. Sometimes he takes dinner at the same time as us, and sometimes not. Georg« has bpen here about a fortnitrht. Would be about twenty minutes at dinner. Parsons went out from dinner before me two or three minutes ; cannot say whether any others went out before me. When I came out Persons was in the buTgy shed. 1 am sure 1 came into the house to tell Webb. He was in the room where I got mv dinner; Aitfcen was there also. The Coroner remarked fhar he hud given his evidence very clearly and intelligently. Wm. Martin passed the stable about half- past 12 o'clock with Mr Keith; sawno signs of fire. About five minutes after saw smoke issuing from the roof; assisted to get horses out and to put out fire. Dun form ub idea as to origin of fire. When I saw the smoke I saw no one about. George Kei'h, carpenter, coming from dinner about a quarter to one o'clock ; met Wm. Martin driving a cow pasr L-ingley's sttible. Saw no sign of fire; went round to buggy shed and spoke to Parsons, another man, and old Martin, and went on to the pos'-office. Wrien I heard the cry of <; Fire ! " I turned and looked back and noticed on the roof a portion, like a semicircle, red hot, nnd smokn issuing from roof. From the time I first oast, the stable till I returned could not hnve been more than five minutes. I helped to put it out ; I know nothing- of the origin. Thomas Aitken, stableman to Chaplin and Co., remembers Friday. After the coach started that day, about 1 o'clock, was washing myself in Chaplin's stables when I heard something cracking and puffing, but thought it was the hose squirtinsr, and went out to stop it, bur stuv nothing ; was returning when I saw the boy jumping about and pointing, but could not make him out, (he has an im pediment) but looking to where he whs pointing, saw smoke issuing from the roof at the end of the stabJe next- the street. I called out " Fire ! " and ran to the pump ; s*w no one about when Walter pointed out the smoke. F. Webb was sitting at the time on the bunk in Chaplin's stable. The first man I met when I was going to the pump was Thomas Martin. When I parsed .him I saw the cook coming out of the . houjftj^ I do no: know where George was ati this time or any of the other men. T did not get my dinner till late in the afternoon after the fire, about 4 o'clock. F. Webb got his dinner with me. The" girl gave me my dinner. I was not in the house af'er the mid-day coaches left, till I got mv dinner, ex-^pung info the bar for a drink, after hitching up horses to Lloyd's coach. The sergeant at this stage, asked for an adjournment, as circumstances of a suspicious nature had transpired that morning that required timber investigation. Coroner adjourned inquest till Monday morning 1 next, »t 9 o'clock.