FIRES.

Evening Star, Issue 7343, 15 October 1887, Page 2

FIRES.

+ A fire occurred at Warkworth on Thursday evening, when a store occupied by Mrs Bowen was destroyed. The stock was insured in the Imperial office for L6OO. The building, which was owned by Mrs Such, was uninsured. The engine shed of Hungerford and M'Kay, railway contractors, at Greymouth, was destroyed by fire yesterday morning. They lose LBOO, Three locomotives were in the shed, one recently from Home havingcost LI ,200. This received the most damage from the fire, most of the patent metal and brasswork being fused. The second engine was only partially burnt, but the third and least valuable was got out. There was a night watchman, whose duty it was to be there between eight and twelve, but he has been in the habit of keeping at home till three and four, and was in bed when the fire broke out. All the engines might have been saved, but a panic was raised by someane calling out "Look out, boys, she'll burst I" when all ran away. Abour forty men are thrown out of employment, and it will require at least about two months before work can be resumed. One of the overseers passed the building at 12.30, and there was then no sign of fire. The alarm was raised at 1.20.

There was an unimportant fire at 5.40 yesterday afternoon in the four-roomed house in Dundas street ooeupied by Mr M. Creagb, the cupboard in the kitchen being found to be ablaze. It seems that some loose paper and kindling wood were stowed away in the cupboard, and the presumption is that the children, who had been playing in the kitchen, had got to the matches and accidentally set light to the combustibles. The fire was easily extinguished with a few buckets of water, and L2 will cover all the damage done. There was no insurance on Mr Greagh's furniture.