FIRE IN SYDNEY-STREET. MR. LANE'S STABLES DESTEOYED

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 100, 29 April 1895, Page 2

FIRE IN SYDNEY-STREET. MR. LANE'S STABLES DESTEOYED

A fire broke ontin Mr. John Lane's livery stabies in Sydney-street at half-past 11 o'clock on Saturday night, and in a very short space of time nothing was left of the two-story building but a few charred uprights and a number of crumpled sheets of corrugated iron. No ono seems to know how the fire originated, bnt there is no doubt that it started in the back part of tho premises, which had been used for the storage of odds and ends. Access to this could be obtained from an alley-way off Sydney-street, and as Mr. Lane bad frequently been annoyed by vagrants taking up their quarters in the back part of the building, it ia supposed that some person in quest of a night's lodging must havo found his or hor way there and accidentally set the place on fire. The premises wore leased from Mr A. Lockie and wero very old, a portion of them having been erected over 20 yeara ago. Constable Price was one of the first to notice the outbreak, and his first act waa to £nouk loudly on the main door, after which he gave ibe alarm to Mr. Lane, who lives almost opposite the stables, and who was just about to go to bed. Mr. Lane and the constable then rushed into the stables, and with the assistance of James Follas, one of the employe's, they released the whole of the horses, 30 in number. The animals ran pellmell into the street, and one of them in going into Mulgrave-street broke a leg by slipping on the wet pavement 'In consequenco of this accident the brute was at once shot, and the carcase was buried yesterday morning. The other horses scattered over the city, and some of them are etill at large. Twenty of thofo which have been recovered have been lodged in the stablea of Government House and the Ministerial residence in Molfsworth - street, placed at Mr. Lane's disposal for a few days by tho Premier, who was present at tho fire. A heavy southerly breeze was blowing when the fire occurred, and as the timber of which the btables was composed nas old tbo flames were very fierce, occasionally reaching right across the street A numl er of Mr. Lane'B vehicles, including the large brake "Gladstone," two drags, and a number of cabs and buggies, were destroyed, as wero also a buggy belonging to Dr Cabill, a trap the property of the Mutual Life Association of Victoria, a cab owned by Mr. M'Lcau, and a waggon left on the promises by Mr. Tame. About .£l5O worth of horse feed, together with a large quantity of new harncs3, was also burned. The buildings were insured in the Sonth British Company for JESSO, and there waß a policy for .£ISOO in the same office on the plant, &c. Mr. Lane estimates his lO3S at .£SOO. Fears were entertained at one time that several houses in the vicinity of the Btables would be destroyed, but through the efforts of the Fire Brigade, assisted by tho occupants and the general pnblio, all of them escaped destruction St. Paul's old Bchoolroom, adjoining the stables, was severely charred, and it will bo neP3ssary to iJeT)/&8e"" a pait of the weather-boarding. The stable of Mr. Brodio, cordial manufacturer, Thorn-don-quay, and also its contents, were damaged by water to tho extent of about .£2O. There 13 no insurance The residence of the late Mr. C. J. Toxward, which is now in the occupation of Mr. Robert Parker, has been scorched, and the damage is estimated at £30. The furniture and effects are insured for JECOO in the Commercial Union Co., and are uninjured. The samo company has a tisk of JEISOO in the building, half being reinsured on the New Zealand office. Mr. M. P Cameron's residence, next door to it, also suffered. The Premier, the Minister of Lands, and Mr. E T. Sayers, were early on the Bcene, and rendered valuable assistance in preventing the house from catching fire. The house was damaged to the extent of about J:GO, and is protected by a policy for .£7OO in the Royal Co. The contents, insnred for .£3OO in the New Zealand offico, also suffered. Mr. S. Diamond's residence waa ensured in the Commercial Union for .£7OO, and was damaged to the extent of about JEGO. There is also a risk in the same offico on the furniture, the amount being JE-100. The damage, however, is slight. A cottage owned and occupied by Airs Astill was also in jeopardy for a time. The paint hai been scorched, and an expenditure of abont .£25 will be required to effect repairs. There is an insurance on the building of ,£4OO. the risk being held by the New Zealand Insurance Company, aud the furniture and contents, which did not suffer, are insured in the same office for £300. A double house, belonging to Mr. Astill and occupied by Mr. H. M'Farlane (a railway official) and Constable Oliiver, ia inBured in the Royal for .£2OO and repairs » ill ncc-asitate an expenditure cf nearly that amount. Cons f able ulliver's goods have received about iso worth of damage, and ure not insured. Mr. ftl'Parlane's furniture and effects also suffered totheextentof about .£3O, The residence of Mr. G. Martin, oi the General Post Office, insured in the New Zealand for .£3OO, will have to be re-painted. The same office held a risk of j£ls<> on the furniture, which, however, is very slightly damaged. The occupants of the Royal Hotel, feared for a time that the place would ignite ; but fortunately the Brigade, with the a9*ia f ance of a number of civilians, was able to prevent tho spread ef the flames from the back ef the stables. Tho Brigade, under Captain Kemsley, worked exceedingly well. Eieut. Adam", who lives in Mulgravc street, was awakened by the trampling of the horses in their st-dls, and on finding that the stablea were on fire he gave the alarm to the Te'epuone Exchange, whioh rang up the Brigade Station in Manners-street. The Brigade was on the spot fivo minutes after getting tho alum, but on reaching the stables it was found that the fire had obtained such a hold that it was impossible to save them. The pressure of water was somewhat low at first, but after a while Captoiu v Ji^msley was able to get four good jets ot water on to the flames. Mr. Lane had a very narro iv ' 'uHUtt^Bf Wishing to Bave a new set of harness he rushed into one of the rooms, and was bringing out the articles when he waß overcome by the smoke, and but for Messrs F. Cooper and H. Savage, who went to his rescue, he would probably have been suffocated A man named George Hill, who slept on the premises, was brought from his room upstairs just in the nick of time by Constables Price and Henry.