FIRE AT MARTON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 7

FIRE AT MARTON.

.BUSINESS PREMISES DESTROYED, '■.'•(uy ; TKLEGiurit—special coeuesfondent.) , ■', . ; : ;■ _.:' Marten, November 15. ■ . At about 12.30 o'clock this morning an ;. outbreak of fire was discovered in a Targe : two-storied shop and dwelling situated in one ■ of the'busiest portions of the borough of '■-■' Martoii. The shop was one lately loased by.' 7 Mr. J. Mathers, and was occupied some time, ago as the temporary offico of the Bank oq / New, Zealand. It was better known as th? .Trpcadoro. Tho premises had just beoi f leas/od by Mr. Tingey, of Wanganui, . whw .-, was about to open, up a large stock of papeif'-j..- . hangings, etc., and extensive alterations wer& , ili hand -for; an up-to-date shop and dwelling.!) : v ' ,/'Tkq'fire broke out in the hack portion ol>j\ the promises and quickly spread. Boforst 'the brigado was called out tho flames had. reached tho top story, and there was danger of a; most disastrous firo. It was impossible to -do anything to savo tho building where tild : firo broko out, and though tho night; w.i 3 icalm thoro seemed considorablo danger that: the building on the opposit6 ; sido of the street -might take fire, and the attention ,of , ■•; the lirigade was devoted to preventing what' ' ■ ■would have boon n great calamit-yi' As it'was,' .' .'the 'shops lopposito had n sovero scorching, 7 . .and so intense was tliq heat that every plate- • window from Hilton's shop to Gould's .' , promises \vas badly cracked, and tlie buildings " '-. When the big.;building was ..,,; practically burnt out thoro was not so much : danger on tho other side of the street, and the attention of tho brigade was then direc- - . tod to .saving the adjoining shops of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the Dresden Piano' Company, and Messrs. W. Dickson, butcher; J. G. Campbell, painter, and others. The fire soon caught tho Singer Sowing Machine Company's shop, and tho whole block seemed doomed. Membors, of tho brigade set to work against great odds.' ■ , There was a miserable pressure of water, but it was' soon seen the brigndo had tho fire . 'in hand. 'Only tho verandah of the next '• building, that of tho Dresden Piano Com- '■•■' puny], was burnt. While members of the brigade were. putting in splondid work here tho fire had caught at tho-office of Mr. Lyon, noxt : to Messrs. Signal Bros', stables. With such| an inadequate supply of there was no hopo for this building, and it was quickly;destroyed. This was the tlifrd building demolished, and the damage done, to the Drosden''Piario Company's shop and buildings ■ on the. other side of Broadway; is estimated at £lo0;':'Tlio stock from the' Singer Sowing■•' Machine Company's shop was saved, and , the pianos wore, safely removed from the '■>. Dresdon shop. Mr. Lyon had all his books .7 romoved arid also saved a largo number of documonts. The"-'buildings destroyed wo.ro owned by Mrs. E.'• H. • Humphrey. ' The two-storied' ■ building was, insured for £300 in tho Stan- .■ dard office;' Mr. Lyon's office for £50, the V Siiißor Sewing Machine Company's shop for - : £125, both in tho Commercial Union office. ■•■ . ■ The!damage to Mr. M'Chesney's shop.is ' cstiinatod nt £70, to J. Mfithers's at about - £15, nnd to tho other buildings nt about ' •' £50. This is oovered by insurance. Mr. J. G.-Campbell had no insurance on •■■■ his stock, -which was badly damaged by re- - moval. Mr; T. Stockwell, manager of the Siugei' Sewing Machinp Company, lost most of his''household'furniture mid had no in- v enrancc. . '■ '' ' ' The origin of the fire is. not known. Mr. Duck went through tho buildings yesterday ■-.- and left everything apparently . safe. Th» outbreak occurred in tho back rooms.