THE LATE FIRE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3914, 24 May 1877, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE.

THE INQUEST. An inquiry Avas held yesterday at the Star Hotel, Emerson-street, before Dr. Hitchings, coroner, respecting the circumstances in connection with the late fire. The following gentlemen Avere sworn on the jury : — Benjamin Smith (foreman), Andrew Gould, Henry Renouf, E. L. Smith, David Lindsay, George Faulknor, Robert Holt, John M'Yay, William Britten, AVilliam Mayo, John Burton, Hugh Donahoe, Henry Neal. The jury having viewed the premises, the f olloAving evidence Avas taken : — Clara Ann AVilson deposed : I was occupying the house in Emerson-street that Avas burnt last Sunday night. I had been three Aveeks in the house. There Avas a stoA r e, and also a fireplace in the house, but there Avas only a fire in the stove. The house consisted of a shop in front, AA'hich I had partitioned off into three rooms. At the back there Avere tAvo rooms, one being a kitchen, and the other a parlor. There Avas a fireplace in "each of the back rooms, Avith a double chimney. The fireplace in the parlor Avas a registered grate ; the kitchen had an American stove in it. I had the stove put in Avhen I Avent into possession of the place. Mr Boylan's man, AVishart. put it in. The stove had four legs, which rested on the hearth. The hind legs were inside the chimney, resting on the place from Avhere I took aAvay some bricks that- had formed the* hobs ; the fore-legs Avere on the hearthstone. I think it Avas stone, not concrete. The fore-legs quite cleared the flooring by an inch and a-half. I burned coal in the stove, except to light the fire, when I used wood for that purpose. There was a small fender in front of the stoA r e. I never found any ashes in the fender. There Avas a chimney to the stove— a stove-pipe. There were two' lengths of piping — quite sufficient to go up the chimney. There Avere about five feet long together. There was a fire in the parlor on Sunday afternoon until about 3 o'clock. In the stove there Avas a fire until 6 o'clock in the eA'ening, when I raked out the fire into the receptacle ' intended for the cinders. I cleaned out the kitchen about 8 o'clock. I had only the light of a candle to do the Avork. At about 10 o'clock I locked the front door, and a feAv minutes afterwards I Avent to 1 bed. I had three lodgers sleeping in the house that night. Two of them slept in 1 the front room, and one slept in the back room, over the parlor. Two of the men Avent to bed at half-past 8 o'clock, and the ■ other Avent at a little before 10. I haA r e no ; idea lioav the fire originated. I knoAV it : was not from inside the house. From Avhat the young man said avlio Avas Avoke up by it, the fire commenced from the , side of the house. I never saAV it inside. t I could not get my door open, and I got out from the balcony. At about 11 , o'clock the lodger in the back room gave the alarm, screaming and knocking at the doors. I could not open my bed-room door because the handle Avas too hot to touch. The stoA'e did not smoke ; I only commenced using it on the previous AA r ednesday. James Wishart, storeman at Messrs Boylan & Co.'s, deposed : Last Saturday Aveek I took to Mrs Wilson's an American stove, knoAvn as a " Cinderella." I did not help to fix. it. I merely left it against the fireplace. I did not remove any bricks to let the stove in. Two of the legs were against the hob, and the two forelegs Avere on the Avooden floor. Mrs AAllson sent to the tinsmith for some piping and I tried to fix them, but I found that it Avas too Avide and Mrs AVilson had it altered to fit. I never saw the piping after it Avas on, but Mrs AVilson told me she had got it done all right, John Pierce deposed : I was lodging at Mrs AAllson 's ; I Avent there last Saturday for the first time. I Avas never in the kitchen of the house. I Avent in on Sunday night about 10 o'clock. Mrs AVilson was sitting in the back parlor. I Avent to bed immediately. I had a candle alight in an enamel candlestick, I am sure I put it out. I slept in a back room upstairs, over the parlor. I Avas aAvoke after I had been asleep by a crackling noise and a roaring as of fire. I lit the candle, put on my trousers, and Avent half way doAATi the stairs ; but the smoke put the candle out, and I went back to my room and shut the door. I opened the AvindoAV and cried out " fire," and " help," but I could see no one coming, and 1 let myself dovni. After I had got out I saAV tAvo men at the Avindow of another room, and I told them they must jump out or they Avoulcl be burned. The fire, without doubt, originated in the lower part of the house, but I could not tell in which room. I did not see any flames until I Avas outside the house. AVilliam Arnold, avlio had also been lodging in the house, was in attendance ; but he was not examined, as the jury did not consider that he could throAv any light upon the origin of the fire. H. Harding, the man Avho Avas hurt by jumping out of the Avindow, and Avho was also someAvhat severely burned, Avas not examined, because he Avas not in a fit condition to be removed from the hospital. AVilliam Lilley AA'hite deposed : 1 live in Emerson-street. I know the premises that Avere burned doAvn last Sunda}* night. I Avas agent for the property at one time. Mr Ben Smith occupied a portion of the upstairs premises as offices. I have some recollection of Mr Smith draAvmg my attention to the joints in the chimney casing being smoked. This was in both the room over the kitchen and the one over the parlor. My impression was that the smoke came up betAveeh the casing and the brickwork, the smoke entering at the mantel-piece in each of the rooms beloAV. The jury, after consulting for a considerable time, returned the following verdict : — " There is not sufficient cA Tidence elicited to show lioav ov where the fire originated, but that much carelessness has been slioavii in the manner in Avhich I the cooking rango has been placed." I