FIRES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9330, 3 February 1896, Page 6

FIRES.

_ _*>- AT SYDENHAM. Shortly after midnight on Sunday a fire occurred at Sydenham which totally destroyed three houses situated iv Wordsworth street. The fire started in the centre one of the three, occupied and owned by Mr Wm. Rodgera and family. Mr Rodgers stated that he had a child sick, and his wife got up to attend to it. She heated some water at the fire, which she lett burning when she returned to bed, aud it is supposed that it was from this tire the one started which burned down tbe cottages. Mr Rodgers' house, which was of five rooms, wa - insured iv the Commercial Union for £150, and the furniture, none of which was saved, in the Royal Exchange for £50. The second cottage waa owned by Mr Rodgers and occupied by Mrs McNicoll and family. It was insured for £100 iv the National office, and the furniture, of which part was save-, for £50 in the Manchester. The third cottage was owned by Mr Chas. Allison and occupied by Mr Russell and family. It was of five rooms, and was insured in the Alliance for £150. The furniture was not insured, but it was mostly saved. The chemical engine went out, but there was not the slightest chance of saving either of the cottages, as -the fire must have got a good hold before the alarm was given. The Railway Brigade also was in attendance and got aline of hose out, but the water being ao far away was not able to be of any service. AT ARGYLE HOUSE, CASHEL STREET. At twenty minutes to two o'clock yesterday morning Watchman Paget gave an alarm to the brigade of a fire that had broken out in the drapery establishment known as Argyle House, Cashel street, and in the occupation of Messrs G. L. Beath and Co. The buildiug is divided into three departments, the centre beiug oi three storeys aud those on either side oi two storeys each. The firo started in the second story of the west wing, or the ready-made clothing department, which ia divided from the AI Hotel on the one side by a brick wall, and is separated from the main building on the other by a brick wall with iron doors of commuuicatiou, which were oloaed. The second story of this wing is partitioned off iuto three rooms, the centre one being the milliners' workshop, which was locked up about 1 p.m. on the previous day. It waa iv this room that the fire commenced, and in consequence of its confinement it was not discovered until it had broken through the roof at the baok. It was at this stago that the brigade arrixed, and it is due to their exertions and the fact that this portion waa almost surrounded by brick walls that the fire was confined to the building in which it commenced. The Deluge was stationed at Messrs Mason and Struther's lank, and a line of hose taken down the right-of-way from Lichfield Btreet, a second being taken along Colombo street into Cashel street. By means of the fire escape and two tall ladders four men took this hose over the roof of the AI Hotel, and were thus enabled to pour a, large volume of water through the skylight into the building, the interior of which was all aflame. The brigade worked splendidly, and the expeditious way iv which they gut the hose over the hotel was loudly applauded by the large concourse of people gathered round. Great assistance was rendered to the brigade by a member of Messrs Fitzgerald'- circus, who had beeu a Superintendent of one of the Sydney Brigades. The Christchurch Railway Brigade was in attendance and ready to assist, but fortunately that was not necessary. The fire burned away the whole of the roof of the west wing and gutted the interior of the upper floor and a considerable amount of damage was done on the ground floor by water. .It was impossible yea terday to ascertain the loss that Messrs Beath and Co. suffer. .For the purposes' of insurance the e_„_lishme_t was divided into three buildings. Tho3e to the eastward of the one in which the fire occurred were not damaged. The insurance.o_ the department burned amounted to £4625 divided as follows:— Stock—Royal £1000, Norwich Uniou £1000,' Guardian £875. Imperial £500; fittings—Royal £250; building—Alliance £1000. •'''.'"-*. ■' (-R-8S ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS) AUCKLAND, February 2. The Post Office at Port Albert has been burned down and the. mails are destroyed. No particulars are known. DUNEDIN, February 2. ■The seven-roomed house of Mr James Farrel, .Gabriel _ Gully, was destroyed by tire. The house and its contents were insured for £200 in the New Zealand office. Mr Farrel states that he lost £50 in notes and coin. He had some difficulty in getting out his sister, an elderly woman. The fire is supposed to have been caused by a gust of wind blowing down the chimney.