FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7003, 28 April 1884, Page 3 (Supplement)

FIRES.

The adjourned inquest: on the recent fire at the premises of Messrs. E. Wall and Co., drapers, Queen-street, took place on April 2. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned the following verdict: — "That the premises occupied by E. Wall and Co. were partially destroyed by fire on the night of the Srd of March last; but the evidence, though disclosing suspicious circumstances, is not clear enough to discover the origin." The house of Mr. Anton Rusac, situated at Puhoi, which was totally destroyed by fire on April 8, was a new one of six rooms, and, with the furniture, was insured for £250 in the Imperial Insurance Company. A six roomed house at Parawai, Thames, belonging to Ravyiri and family was burned down on the 6th April. It was uninhabited, bub used as a storehouse. The house is valued at £190, and the stores, such as potatoes, flour, hay, etc., at £50. Nothing was saved, and there was no insurance. -The causs is supposed to have been spontaneous combustion. A fire broke out at half-past one o'clock a.m. on the 12th April in the bakehouae of Mr. Whitcombe, baker, of Ponsonby-road. The buildings destroyed were worth about £100, and if the oven is cracked by the fire the loss will be about £100 more. Intelligence was received on April 16 o£ the destruction by fire on the previous night of Mr. John Smyth's sawmill, at Waitakerei, together with a stack of timber. The mill cost over £2500 about three years ago, the only insurance being £300 in the Victoria. Some 20,000 feet of timber was also destroyed. It is estimated that the total loss above insurance will be £2500. A number of the workmeD have loat their tools. ' A Coroner's inquest was held on April ]6, before Dr. Philßon, Coroner, to enquire into the circumstauces surrounding the fire which originated in the house of Mrs. O'Connell, Wollesley-street West, on the morning of the 23rd March. The jury returned an open verdict, but found that the evidence disclosed suspicious circumstances. A fire broke out in a four-roomed cottage belonging to Samuel White, situated in the Brighton-road, Parnell, on April 21. The house was completely destroyed. Some few articles of furniture were saved. The cottage was insured for £175 in the New Zealand Insurance Company's Office. McGearj's furniture was insured for £50. The dwelling house of Mr. Francis Creighton, on the ranges overlooking Wairoa, and about seven miles from Papakura, was burned to the ground on Monday, the 21st of April. The residence was insured for £800, and the furniture for £200, in the Norwich Union. He estimates his loss at £200 above insurance. The house was about ten years old.