FIRE IN YORK STREET, SYDNEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1706, 11 May 1869, Page 5

FIRE IN YORK STREET, SYDNEY.

JShostlt after nine o'clock yesterday evening ill alarm of fire was given, flames having been ieea issuing from the roof of one of a block of houses north of Messr3. :Vlo Vrtliur's stores, and situated between them and the corner of Kingstreet. The shop in which the fire originated f. was in the occupation of a tinsmith named I Henry Stevenson. As soon as the alarm had y been given, and before the fire-engines bad j arrived, a number ot people who had congrep gated got access into the premises, broke open % the windows, and commenced to carry the goods | ia Mr. iMevejisoii's, and the , aojoiniDg shops, occupied by JVlr. Green, basketmaker, and Mr. | J. M'Glinn, gunmaker, into the street. Within | about five ©r six niiuutes from the a arm being t given at the Insurance Brigade office, their >, manual engine, wiili the men under the superi intendence of Mr. iJown, were on the ground. I lad immediately set to work to subdue the flames. After working for nearly half an hour it was seen that all danger of the fire spreading from the upper to the lower story was over, While the fire was raging two engiues came up, & r os. 1 and 2 Volunteer Fire Companies, undei Torning and Camb, and the steam fireengine of the Insurance iirigade, but, by the time they arrived their services were nol much needed, Mr. Torning lending the Insurance Brigade valuable assistance. For a little more than a quarter of an hour ihe glare of the burning roofs illuminated everything around,hut Was soon changed to darkness. 1 he fire originated in the ceiling of the shop occupied bj ■Mr. SteTenson, which was composed of canvai and paper. It appears, from a statement made "J Mr. Stevenson, that while going up stairs he «ast his eye up to the ceiling, and saw some light through, the roof, two or three shinglei j|| appearing to be off. On making some attempt gv to corer the opening with the loose shingles, t H candle, which he held in his hand, was upset, H causing the ceiling to catch fire, lie being ajp tendered so helpless by the suddenness of tin: rI ■ Wcident, that he was unable to make any ttttempi '7 St ou ' ; fl" mes - r l^ e stock of Mr. fi) Stevenson is insured in the Liverpool and LonI ? on . Insurance Office for £350; Green, the Disketrnalrer, was not insured, but the' greater | i P ar ' his stock was saved; Mr. McGlinn, *?< was not insured, and had his goods 1 ; j f io the removal. The Are, by the . , g uefaigable exertions of the firemen, was conk upper story of the shops occupied rZ s . Green and Sterenfon, and prevented =1 spreading to the extensive premise* I Co belonging to Messrs. McArthur and I -i tod used by them as a general warehouse.

The goods were removed from the buildings by the salvage brigade, 1 and by" them under cover. A large the' city police, was soon on the ground, wheix.they kept order, in the crowd, and assisted in of the goods. The premises are tjie of Mr. I. J. Josephson, but whether they aVinaured, or to what amount, is not known.—Herald, May 3. ■ \