BIDWILL STREET FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1336, 13 January 1912, Page 5

BIDWILL STREET FIRE.

TWO HOUSES BURNT. timely aid to the brigade. BY POLICE AND OTHERS, A serious fire occurred in Bidwill Street at 3.10 p.m. yesterday, as tho result of which two largo wooden dwellings and contents were totally destroyed, and .tho two adjoining buildings were slightly damaged. When tho brigade arrived, No. 31 Bidwill Street was fully ablaze, and beyond hope of saving, and tho adjoining residence had also caught fire, and was . being rapidly devoured by the flames, which were fanned by a light northerly .wind. Tho brigade concentrated its efforts- on Having the buildings on either side, and their task was no light one, ft)r Bidwill Street is an elevated thoroughfare and tho pressure of water in the mains was not very strong. But tho brigado >went to work with a will, and assisted by a squad of Permanent Artillerymen and police, who carricd wet blankets to tho roofs of the adjoining buildings and also hung them on the -walls the spread of the flames was confined to the two centra buildings, which, in a little over an hom*; were totally demolished. Tho cause of the fire is unknown. Tho house (No. 31) in which it originated was a wooden building of eight rooms, and was owned and occupied by Mr. Herbert Smith. It was insured in the Guardian office for >£700, and > the contents in tha National office for .£530. As mentioned, both house and contents were destroyed. The adjoining house (No. 33) was a nine-roomed one-story wooden dwelling, and was occupied and owned by Mr. Charles Ballingall. In this caso a small portion of the contents was saved, but the building itself was destroyed. Both the house and contents were insured in the Royal Exchange, South British, and Phoenix offices, but for what amount could not be ascertained yesterday. No. 35, which was slightly damaged bV Ere, is a seven-roomed residence owned and occupied by Mr. Frank Andrews, clerk to the Executive Council, Tho building is insured in the Standard office for £400, and tho contents for .£350 in the State office. Some of tho contents were 1 damaged by hasty removal. The residence on tho other side of the destroyed houses is a one-storied wooden building of eight rooms, occupied and owned by Mr. Louis Linklater, accountant to the legal firm'of Messrs. 8011, Gully, Bell, and Myers. This building (which was only slightly damaged on tho side wall by fire) and its contents are insured, the, former for £700 f and tho latter for . JE3OO in the National office. Superintendent O'Brien wishes to express his thanks to the Permanent Artillerymen, police, tramway men; and' postmen, who readily assisted him to subdue * what promised to become a very ugly conflagration.