A SERIES OF FIRES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11173, 15 March 1899, Page 3

A SERIES OF FIRES.

[by telegraph.] Auckland, Tuesday. ■; The seven-roomed residence of Mrs Howard, Campbell's Point, occupied by Mr F. W. Mason, was burned down today. It wag insured for i>lßs in the South British. Mason'B furniture was insured in the New Zealand for .£2OO. Nothing was saved. The origin of the fire is unknown. A series of fires at Ohehunga occurred this morning before daylight. The first ■was a cottage occupied by Mrs O'Donnell and owned by Mrs John Rout. Nothing a •was saved. It was uninsured. r Shortly afterwards another cottage in _ the neighborhood, occupied by Mrs Cowley j. and belonging to the same owner, was , found on fire, but extinguished. A third fire was then discovered in an empty houße, belonging to Mrs Bassett, r and was extinguished. The insurance was .£l5O in the' South British. No reason can be assigned for the outbreak. Incendiarism is suspected. A bag con- ■, taining fragments of straw was- found near the place of the second fire. The third house was so situated that with the wind in the direction it was it could not have caught from the sparks from Mrs O'Donnell'B house. i ===== 1