FIRES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13108, 23 April 1903, Page 5

FIRES.

A few minutes after nine o'clock' last, night a. firo was discovered in an unoccupied house situated 'in Hereford Stre-cS East. The house, the property c£ Mr Robert Walter Meers, was a iwo-siorey building of eight rooms, with a lean-to thed attached, and the fire was discovered burning strongly an the shed and the back pars of. the house. In response to an alarm the City brigade turned out, and their efforts sufficed to confine the fire to the back of the building, though it was damaged bywater throughout. Mr Meers recently moved out of the house into a cottage close by, taking a good deal of his furniture with him, but he had a quantity of photographic materials stored in the building,, and these, together with many articles of furniture, were destroyed or badly damaged. He estimated the value of the furniture and materials destroyed, about a quarter of hi» property, at £IOO, and the whole of ih* furniture was covered by an insurance policy, in the Alliance Company, for £SOO. The house was insured for £SOO. Mr M-aers had a fire alight in the lean-to shed last evening, and there was a screen int front of the fire. He was working in the building until about ten minutes before tha outbreak was discovered. - •

A false alarm of fire was given in Sydenham shortly after four o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the Sydenham and City Brigades turned out, only- to find that, their services were not required.

[Per Press Association.] ASHBURTON, April 22. A fire broke out this evening in a fourroomed house at Treverton, owned and occupied by Mr J. Aslett. Nothing vaa saved, the place being gutted in a very short'time. The insurance was £125 or* the house and furniture in the Norwich Union Office.