FIRES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10703, 9 July 1900, Page 2

FIRES.

LOSSES BY FTRES

(By Texegsaph.)

(FBOil OTJB, SPECIAL COBBESPQND.-NT.)

WELLINGTON, July 8.

[ The "Post' says that the current year i promises to be a disastrous one for the fire ■ underwriters of the colony. In the first I quarter the fire losses were unprecedented!}* i large, and there had bsen no cessation in '• the number of conflagrations. The fire . losses for the past two months sliow that i there were in all eighty-one fires, involving i £60,180 of insurance. Of these there were twenty-six fires in May, involving £51,695 in insurance; and fifty-five in Jane with £28,485 of insurance. Of the fifty-five out-' breaks of fire in June thirty-four were in the North. Island and twenty-one- in. the South Island, being an increase of eleven and i eighteen as compared with the record for i May. On last month's fires in the North Island the insurances amounted to £21,740, and for the South Island £6745, as against I £19,645 and. £12,050 for the respective ! islands in May. The loss ratio in hotels ! has been remarkably high, no less than eight \ have been destroyed in June, viz., the Ma- | na-watu Hotel,. Foxton, the Victoria Hotel, Pet-one, the Mulgiuve Hotel, Greycrton, and the Albion Hotel. Wellington,; all in the North Island; and the Waimea Hotel, the Hokitika Hot*!, the Sltucers Arms Hotel, and tie Royal Arms Hotel -at Goldsborough, near Kumara. The "Post" aMs: — The effect, of earthquakes in, displacing brickwork which leads to so many fires being attribnted to defective chimneys, is one great cause of the numerous fires in the North Island, and the careless architecture is, perbaps, another contributing cause. (PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) WELLINGTON, July 7. The -Mercantile Record has compiled a list of the fires in May and June, irom which it appears the loss to insurance companies s has been £60,180, There were no less than 55 fires last month, and 26 in May, the larger number being , in the North Island. Last- month eight hotels were Sburaed, and four in May were degtroved.or damaged., * iupiFTpN, July 7.. Williams's and Btirke's fatttefci, tyro of the oldest hcfetelries in Heefton, were burned this morning. Tteiire is 'supposed to have originated in a bedroqpa, at Wjlliams's hotel. Everything was lost; Vi ; The downstairs furniture was saved frooi i The insurance is £900 oh" VCtE!wm's and £450 Burkes. . ■.-.jfjn' ~: re- ■■-' A little ,bc|ara p'tjlock on Saturday mornTnjf th^^'tyt'telton sounded 'thle**'*- alajro, -and it was seen that trvro ; cottages in Ticehurst road, were in flame*. One proved to be in the occupation of Mr W. Knott, and by Mr Worgan, and tlie other to be an empty houss owned by Airs Gill. Both irere insured in the Manchester Office. The former for £50, and the latter for £100. The Fire Brigade turned out promptly, and soon had a copious supply of irater", with/ ■which they succeeded in confining the fire to the cottages named, though a third, in the occupation of Mr Bro%rn, licensed porter, had a narrow escape. Mr Knotc estimates his loss at about £20. Great. credit is due to the lumpers, who worked bard to rescue Mr Bro-wa's furniture, and succeeded in saving everything, without tho breakage of a single articla.-