FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 729, 31 January 1910, Page 6

FIRES.

NEWSPAPER OFFICE DESTROYED. MAN BTJENBD TO DEATH. (By Telegraph.—Press ABBOciatlon.. '-.:.'..'i Dunedin, January 80.The office of the "Mirror," published at Milton, was destroyed by fire .'at 2 a.m. to-day, and a man" named Frederick Grant, who was sleeping on the premises, was burnt to death, his charred remains being found in the debris'. Deceased, who was a printer, was a single man, 34 years of age, .and. was a brother of the proprietor of the paper. The origin of the fire is not known. ■

• ENGINE-SHED BURNED. /;.-; '■' CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. V ' -Westport, January 30. A sensational.fire occurred at Westport shortly before five o'clock this morning. The Government engine-shed, 130 feet by 85 feet, in which were lodged seven engines, used, in the carriage of coal from the r mines in /. Westport . district, ■ was totally •■ destroyed. : The-engines were hooked • out considerably damaged, cabs, tanks, cab fittings,. and. boiler mountings .suffering, principally.' All hands in the railway 'workshops,, were; 'immediately summoned, and got to. work at once/making temporary repairs, and grams we're 'sent"to : Wellington; for more men. ; A small engine 'in the workshops for -repairs was immediately ; dispatched to .Stockton,:Vwith.empties,-'and. to get the loan for a pressure-gauge 1 and other parts ■■ from; Granity,- from the Westport Coal Company. So completely was. work organised andvcarried '.out,. that ..-the works'; foreman .has been .enabled to get six '.of, the.. seven .damaged engines temporarily - repaired, painted, : and, under steam, I .and the; traffic manager now an-, nonnces that'ordinary traffic will be resumed to-morrow, with the assistance-of two engines borrowed; from the Westport Harbour Board. InV, all, tliere are on the Government line ten /engines,, so. that the damage 'done to the '-seven, which came out :of, tho fire looking; as if ..they had gone through a terrific bombardment .appeared to be a very Berions affair.- The Government; locomotive engineer, Mr. Gilloh, and'workshops':foreman, Mr. M'Caffrey, with: their ; staff, deserve'grep'', praise for.'the way -in/.which;-they. have risen to ; the occasion. The engine-shed is'-in-direotly. the property -.of:,- the Harbour Board,; who have as 'part of their endowment the /net' 1 earning of the"railway. It is ■ insured- by; the /Railway Department, but the -amount .of ■ the 'insurance is not' available., here.','..-. ~;•,;.

SERIOUS BLAZE AT^KAITANGATA. :,-;':' .'. ■■■;'■'. '' Diinedin, January 30. ; , • /A-senons fire occurred at Kaitangata about. 2.30 .this; morning,' when' six business places,; the National Bank,: and; a dwelling-house were destroyed.': ,'.' /The business-premises were occupied-by tho following:—Hislop,,/, baker; Middlemass, carpenter'; Myers, ■ tailor; • Jarvie, : tobacconist; Stewart, .solicitor; W. Pater- : son,/•; bootmaker. .- ' : '.The dwelling-house /-was bcoupied by Aimishaw,.baker. The origin of the'fire is unknown, and no particulars as to . insurances ; are available. /FIRE AT AUCKLAND. '.'"••',- : :-. ; Auckland, January 30.- ~ 'A_nre .occurred this morning "in a shop in; Endean T S, buildings, ..Quay. Street,: pied. by ; J. '.Macnamara, hairdresser: and tobacconist. '..The. fire; was quickly.: sut a-gpoddealof .damage' was done to;' the- stock.by/;water. >■-'-■'. '.:,[The Minimal Hand Fire Extinguisher is_ simple, effective,'economical, and dur-able.-A. ;.T.',Pate,'-. Nathan's -Buildings, Wellington, is the 'agent.]—Advt. - '