THE FIRE AT PANMURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6055, 14 April 1881, Page 6

THE FIRE AT PANMURE.

CORONER'S INQUEST. Ax inquest was held yesterday, at Mr. Ireland's house, Panmure, before Dr. Philson and a jury, of whom Mr. George Aldam was chosen foreman, to inquire into the circumstances connected with' the destruction of Messrs. Ireland Brothers' tannery at Panmure on the night of the 7th and morning of the Bth instant. The inquiry was called at the joint desire of the insurance companies and Messrs. Ireland Brothers. Detective Jeffrey represented the police ; Mr. Buttle, of the New Zealand Company, represented the insurance companies. The jury, fourteen in number, having been empanelled, they proceeded with the Coroner to view the scene of the fire. The following evidence was taken :—• Roger Kay, a tanner in the employment of Messrs. Ireland, and residing on the premises, and foreman and general manager of the establishment, deposed that he went to bed at 10 o'clock on Thursday, and was awakened about midnight by a light at the window. He got up and rung the alarm bell which was at the end of the house. He then went and turned on all the water in the yard (three taps) from the dam. He went down to the works with a man named James Cochrane, one of the men employed on the works, who resided with witness. He saw fire on top of the shed burning the roof before he rang the bell. The fire then had hold of about ten feet square of the roof, and on going down he saw that it was rapidly increasing. A lartje number of the hands had collected, and they commenced to save what they could of the property in adjoining sheds. They could not get near that which was on fire, and did not try to as the fire was too large. There were some forty men present, and they saved a quantity of leather and hides, and a few casks of vegetable black. Witness explained on the plan the position of the sheds. After they had saved what they could, they only could' stand by and see the fire burn. There was a fire-engine on the premises, but they could not get near it, as it was in a shed by itself joining that which was on fire. The fire raged; for about three hours. Several tanks of oil took fire, and when it was finished everything was left in its present state. One shed to the right of the works escaped. He could give no account of the origin of the fire. He was last on the premises at about half-past 9 the previous night, and was all through the works looking through. That was his duty. He was right through the shed where he first saw the fire, but observed nothing particular in it. There was nothing in that store but leather and bark. The bark was dry, and had been there for twelve months, and was not liable to heat. He had no light in going through the sheds. He knew every inch of the premises without a light. He built them all, and ought to know them. A spark from the engine chimney could have got to the roof where he firet saw it burning. He had never known a fire in any of the sheds occur in that way. Tiic engine was not at work at night. It stopped at 5 o'clock, and the damper was closed down. There were no men working on the premises after 5 o'clock. Mr. George Ireland was not present until about an hour and a half after the fire broke out. Witnesssent him word, but not until the fire was about half over, and all the buildings were on fire when he got there. Witness had been with Mr. Ireland ever since he commenced business — 20 years ago. They never had a fire in the premises before. He could give no account of the origin of the fire, and had no suspicion that it was intentional. By Detective Jeffrey: He first entered through the engine-house upstairs. Witness explained the course which he had taken. Ho went round without a light, and was in the habit of doing so. . He had been . round there previously at 7 o'clock, and was accompanied by his son, without a light. It was then betwixt dark and light. There was a good moon. He had been at that time in the loft where the fire broke out, in company with his son. He went to have a look round, and saw a box of refuse of leather and size, and took it into the next shed, over the engine-house, and emptied it into another box of rotten size. His son took the empty box back again. He had intended to bag some stuff, but he was too tired and had a bad cold, and .did not do it. When he first went in he had not intended to bag it. Mr. Ireland gave him permission to take the stuff as manure for his farm. He gave Mr. Ireland so much for the casks. He generally did this in his own time, but sometimes in Mr. Ireland's time. Mr. Ireland allowed him to do it, and sometimes the boy did it. Two men, named Williams and Kay, had been working there that day. He could not say whether the fire originated inside or outside thereof. He had never known sparks to come out of the chimney. It had been lengthened considerably to cause a better draft- and enable them to bum wetter fuel. He could not give a rough estimate of the value of the damage done; he had not gone into the calculation. They had usually kept a watchman here. .He left about a fortnight or three weeks before the fire. He left himself, and they had another engaged and he had not come on. He never suggested to Mr.' Ireland to discharge this man, but he told Mr. Ireland he was not required for watching, although he. was working on the premises up to the day lie loft. It waa a fact that he oftener collected this refuse at night after work than at, any other time. Robert Kay, son of last witness, a boy 14 years of age, examined by Detective Jeffrey, deposed to having accompanied his father through the premises between 7 and halfpast 7 o'clock on the night of the fire. It was not dark; it was moonlight. They went to empty one box into another. They left his father's house together. His father told him to come down to help him to fill a bag. They brought the box from the shed where the fire broke out into another over the engine, and were about 10 minutes there and then went home. They had no light there, and no matches were struck. Sometimes they bagged the stuff early in the morning, and sometimes in the night. He was positive they had no light. Roger Kay, recalled, said the building 3 were never locked at night. The office was the only building locked. It was while they were putting in the new engine and boiler, and when there were no fires on the premises that he suggested doiiig away with the watollman's services, but he went to work in the yard. Hugh Williamson, currier, in Messrs. Ireland's employ, said he was not present at the fire. He pointed out on the plan where he had been working during the day. It was the shed where the fire originated. William Kay was working with him. They left at 5 o'clock. They had been preparing kip ; what they call whitening it to face it. The refuse was collected and put into a box, but witness did not know what was done ■with it, or when it was taken. He could not account for the fire breaking out. There had been no fire in the place. Witness smoked, but he had not smoked that day in the shed.' He had never known this refuse to ignite. It was not a dangerous material. George Edward Ireland, one of the proprietors of the Panmure tannery, residing near the works, deposed to being called to the fire at about 1 o'clock on Friday, the Bth iust., by a man, named Dickey, one of the men employed on. the works. The whole place was then on fire, and there were a great many present, pulling out hides, &c. Witness had inquired as to how the fire

originated, and his opinion now was that it I was an accident, but ho could not say what , the accident was. The total damage done was not so heavy as they at first thought on account of what had been saved, and he did not think it exceeded £12,000. The insurance was £6679 on buildinge, machinery, and bark, all of which was destroyed. The stock was not insured. He could not at present give an estimate' of what had been saved without further examination as to the state of the pits, but roughly he might say from £3000 to £10,000 worth had been saved. Kay suggested to witness to discharge the watchman. They did not like his way, and arranged for another. The watchman himself gave a week's notice. It was Kay's duty to go round the premises at night. He might sometimes take a light, but he was oftener without one. Witness often went round without a light. He gave Kay permission to remove the refuse. There was no stated time for its removal. Richard George deposed to passing by the premises at a quarter-past 11 o'clock on his way to his lodgings at Roger Kay's house. He came from the direction of Otahuhu. He noticed nothing strange or unusual, and first knew of the fire by hearing the bell. He met no one on the road home. George Alexauder, who passed the premises at about half-past 11 o'clock on his way to Kay's from Panmure. also deposed that ho observed no smoke, fire, or anything unusual, and saw no one about the premises. Witness went straight home to bed. He was asleep wheii the bell rang. The jury returned a verdict, "That the place was wilfully set fire to by some person or persons unknown."