FIRES.

Evening Star, Issue 8613, 5 September 1891, Page 2

FIRES.

At about ten minutes to eight o’clock last evening Mr Blair, who lives in Maitland street, discovered a five-roomed cottage, which is valued at LIOO, to be on fire. The owner of the building, which was a twostorey one, is Mr James Hawkins, carter, and it had been occupied by a Mr John M’Kechnie, carpenter, up to yesterday, when be proceeded to remove to another dwelling-plaoe which was more conveniently situated to bis work. At about 7.30 p.m. Mr M'Eeotanie was busy removing bis furniture, and about twenty minutes after this the place was discovered to be on fire. The only assignable cause of the fire is that a piece of wood which was left burning in the kitchen fireplace rolled ont on to the floor, which thus became ignited; but this is merely surmise. The furniture, with the exception of a few articles whioh had yet to be removed, was saved, and Mr M'Kechnie, who was uninsured, considers that L 6 will cover the value of the articles destroyed. The building was an old one, and burned rapidly, sq that the Fire Brigade and Salvage Corps, who were quickly on the scene, could do nothing in the way of saving it—in fact, the place was burnt out before the water was brought to play upon ft. Mr Hawkins, the 1 owner of the house, was insured for LIOO in' the Sun Office. A large flour mill at Sanson, Marton| belonging to Mr Clover, was burned down at midnight, Nothing was saved, but the loss is covered by insurance.