THE LATE. FIRE

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1415, 12 February 1873, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE.

I An inquiry was held yesterday by the District Coroner, W. H. llevell, Esq., at ' the Court House, touching the origin of . the fire which occurred in Arney street on • Monday morning. Mr E. B. Fox wa3 elected foreman of the jury, and the foll lowing evidence was given :— 1 Constable M'Kenna : I was on duty on s Monday morning, and about 2 o'clock I was in Gresson street, opposite the station, 7 in company with H. Geisking, junr. He s left me aucl went into his father's shop. > I then saw smoke corning from the corner " of Arney street and Richmond Quay, but 1 thought it was a steamer until I got to the [ fence, when I saw fire issuing from the roof of a house in Arney street, near the I river, when I shouted "fire," and young c Geisking heard me and followed. I ran towards the place, but opposite Moore's I asked him to go back 7 and ring the fire-bell. I went to the fire, and in Arney street. I saw r Mr Williams in the street, within a t few yards of her own door — that is the I house that was on fire. The fire was then ■ bursting up through the ridging of the ■t house closp to the chimney, and burning • strongly. I asked Williams if the children c ; ot»tb_.-aii t.ai A a an A -olyv. sai A _ iLYp.a. !_saj7fi next cottage, and I broke in the door, but B found it to be unoccupied. I then went 1 into Gaesson street, to the building known . as the Criterion Hotel, and woke up the . residents there and in the adjoining coti tages. I then called up Mr Moore, at the - Queen's Hotel. Soon after this the fire--1 bell rang. I think it would be about five 3 minutes from the time I first saw the fire. 3 Constable Keating arrived before the bell rang. I was taking Mrs Tom's children T out when Keating arrived. Quite a rush I of people followed. Mrs Williams was I standing in the street alone when I saw r the fire. She was dressed, and was > making no alarm whatever, and she aps peared to be sober. The fire was then ■ altogether confined to her house near her ; chimney, and I am sure she did not L i scream out or I should have heard her. I ; did not see Mrs Williams's children. ; When I first saw her she was going towards ; ; her own door. Henry Geisking corroberated some of the previous witness's evidence. He then 1 said : I woke Captain Eissenhardt and ran to the bell, but could find no rope or ladder to get to it. The Captain came soon after me, and showed me some ledges of wood nailed to the inside wall which I scrambled up. There was a bit of leather attached to the bell, which broke when I took hold of it, and I had to tie a bit of string to it to ring it, It was about six minutes from the time I parted with Constable M'Kenna until I rang the bell. Had there been a rope or a ladder to the bell I could have given the alarm within two minutes. ..: Margaret Williams ; I am a washerwoman, aucl resided in Arney street, near the river. The house I lived in was owned by Mrs Madison ; it contained five rooms, with an iron roof. The house was a long narrow one. The first room was a sitting-room with no fireplace, the second my bedroom and no fireplace ; the third was used as a kitchen, with an iron chimney. There were a few bricks up the back of the chimney. In the fourth room my children slept, and no fireplace. In the fifth room' l kept coal, $c, and did not use the chimney, as it was all broken. On Sunday night I went to bed with my two children about ten o'clock. There was no other person in the house. I used a candle, and put it out after going to bed. It stood on a chair at the side of the bed. I had tea about sfiven o'clock, and did not go into the kitchen again that night. I don't remember telling you (Inspector Hickson) yesterday that I left a fire in the kitchen when I went to bed. There may have been the embers of the fire with .which I made my tea. In front of the fireplace there was a sheet of tin covering the boards, as they were broken. The tin was not properly nailed clown, and I think there were some holes in it. When I woke, the room was in a blaze, and I had only time to drag the children out in their night clothes. I ran with them to Mrs Davis's house, below where Mr Blackmoro lived. The door was opened at once. T first saw the coustable at my own door, when he shouted "fire." He asked me where my children were, and I said they were all right. . I had then) in I a my arms at the time. I did not ask him b to save anything. I was making an alarm. I 1 woke up Mr and Mrs Crogan, and told a

them ray house and Mr AshWswere on tire. When I woke the roof of the bedroom was on lire — not the side-walls. The fire appeared to be coming from the kitchen. When I got out I saw the blaze corning over the roof of the next house to mine. Constable M'Kenna burst in the door of it, but I did not see any light inside. It was Constable M'Kenna shouting "fire" that first woke me, and the heat of the fire in the room. When I got outside I had a print dress thrown over me, no petticoat. Ido not recollect telling you yesterday that I had a cloak or shawl thrown over my shoulders, and had no dress on. The constable could have seen the children in my arms. They were only rolled in a sheet. Where the iron chimney went through the roof there was only paper and canvas round it. I had only one pint cf beer that clay. When I ran to Mr Davis's house with the children, I stayed and helped her to remove her things. I did not go back to my own place. I had been in the house four months, and had cleaned the chimney down once, about three months ago. _ John Heron : I am a carpenter, residing ! in Gresson street, opposite the brewery. I was awake about two o'clock on Monday morning, and heard a man calling fire. I got up, and saw a man knocking at » Crogan's door and calling out fire. He i then ran to the house Mr Blackmore , lately lived in. I called to him that there was no one in, and he passed on giving the alarm. I, could see that the roof of 1 Mrs Williams's house was on fire near the back chimney. It was coining from . the roof, not from the chimney. I cleared out my family and furniture, and had everything out before the bell rang. I think it must have been twenty minutes I from the time the constable gave the alarm until the bell rang. When I first £ looked out there was no other person on the street except the constable giving the 1 alarm. I did not see Maggie Williams. 3 Her house was then the only one on fire. I John AidamEissenlardt: I am Captain of the Volunteer Fire Brigade. On Monday morning, I heard some person calling out " Fire ;' v and, looking out, ] saw the fire in the direction of Arney street. I heard no person knock at my door. On arriving at the Brigade Hall, 0 I saw young Giesking, and he asked me * how to ring the bell, which I showed f him. A second man, working for Woolfe, Q butcher, also came, and I showed him also. In the meantime young Boylar 3 was ringing the bell. lat once. proceeded '" to get the engine out. From the time 1 heard the cry of fire until the bell rang n not more than one minute elapsed. The j means of getting to the bell is by battens , nailed on to the wall, and a person musl g get on to the roof before the bell can be , rung. There is no rope by which the , r bell can be rung from the floor. On ar|t riving at the fire, both cottages — thost c next the river — were in a blaze, the mid [c die one being almost burnt down, anc c Criterion Hotel just beginning to burn. „ Constable John Keating : The firsi 1 alarm I heard was opposite the police :e station, which was given by a persoi jj c proceeding to the Brigade Hall. 1 wen )0 to the fire. On arriving there, I say w Constable M'Kenna coming out of the a Criterion Hotel with a child in his arms ie The only house on fire at this time wai n . Maggie Williams's. I went to the door ie it was open ; and no one was in it. ] [(T was only about five minutes present whei n the fire-bell rang. I would have gone am , a ; rang the fire-bell,, but I heard someoni lfc ; made inquiries" of Margaret William; rt yesterday, and she told me that she was n in bed asleep when th 9 constable knockec c at her door, and the first that she saw o: t. the fire, it was between her own hous( c and Mr Ashton's cottage. She said thai ;. she went to bed between 9 and 10 o'clock, c and that there was very little fire in th( > # grate before going to bed. I brought hei [1 afterwards to the Inspector. a Henry Dayies : I reside in Gressor h street, just below the brewery. At aboui s eleven minutes to two I heard a soreecl vof " Fire ! murder." By' the time I was s dressed a tremendous knock came to mj i- door, and I heard Mrs Williams cry out, a "for God's save my house, Mr Davies, r for it is on fire." I took her in, and ran t to Mrs Williams's house, when I found I the fire running up the partition in the . bedroom, and along the ceiling towards 3 the back premises. There was no one about at this time, and this was the only f place on fire. The fire-bell had not rang i at this time, and when I went back to my I own house Mrs Williams and the children [• were gone. I assisted at Mrs Crogan's* 3 and I think it must have been twenty j minutes after Mrs Williams came to me I before the fire-bell rang. b By the jury : Mrs Williams was dressed i when she came to my house, but I could > not say whether the children were dressed. | There was no fire in any place except the I partition. Ido not think it possible for the ' chimney to have caused the fire. It is quite probable that a candle might have 1 caused the fire. There was no light or blaze to be seen until I got to the door of • the house. I did not give the alarm of fire, and I believe that with assistance I could have put it out with a few buckets of water. Patrick Crogan : I am in the employ of Mrs Whitmore, and lived in a cottage between the brewery and the Criterion Hotel. The first alarm of fire I heard was given by Constable M'Kenna. I then heard Mrs Williams call out fire. I went to Mrs Williams's house, and sa?r her standing on the footpath. The fire was then coming through the roof. The fire was then confined to her house, in the second or third room from the street. From the time Constable M'Kenna kicked at my door until the bell rang would not be more than five or six minutes. Mrs Williams was dressed in a light dress. Jacob Collins : I was at the mouth of the river fishing on Monday morning between one and two, when I saw the house next to the corner of Arney street on fire. I immediately pulled up to the fire, but when I arrived the first house I saw on fire was burned. I saw the fire some time before we started to come up, but 1 did not know where it was. From the time I first saw the fire until the bell rang it would be about 20 minutes. By the jury.: When I reached the fire" the engine had arrived but was not at work. Henry B. Hart : lam a brewer and reside at the corner of Gresson street and Arney street. I am in the employ of Messrs Strike and Blackmore. The first alarm I heard was a man singing out fire, and on looking out of my door I saw the blaae coming through the back, close to Mrs Williams's house. I saw no on c about her house at this time. I, ran and

got out the horse and cart and got some buckets of water. Inspector Hickson : I was aroused by Constable M'Kenna on Monday morning, who called out " fire." lat once dressed, and just as I left the house the .bell rang, and the engine was coming up Gresson street. On reaching Arney street I found the fire confined to the house of Margaret Williams, which was all ablaze. I sent Constable Keating to Mrs Williams to make inquiries of the origin of the fire, and he brought her to my office. Mrs Williams stated that she was awoke first by Constable M'Kenna kicking at Ashton's cottage, next door. As she made different statements I brought Constable M'Kenna to the office and asked hia account of the fire, which was the same as that already given. Mrs Williams stated the constable's version was correct. On being cautioned she said that she had not given the alarm. I then said it would take some time for her to dress herself and bring out the children. She denied being dressed when the constable came up, and said that she had only thrown a black shawl over her shoulders and' ran out. She also said that the fire was proceeding from between the two cottages when she came out. The Coroner having summed up, '?• The jury returned an open verdict, to the effect that the fire originated at the house of Mrs Williams, but there was no evidence to prove how. The following rider was added by the jury—That some easier mode of access be made to get to the fire-bell in similar cases.