FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7693, 19 July 1886, Page 10

FIRES.

At about half-past nine o'clock p.m. on the '22nd June the Newton firebell rang out tha alarm of fire. The tire was in the block of buildings owned by Mr. G. Garrett, butcher, Karangahape Road. A rush, was made for the building, and one of the doors being burst open in the premises in the centre of the block, the tire was seen to be at the top of the stairs and on the landing of the first floor. The block of buildings in which the tire broke out consisted of four two-storied buildings, three of which were owned by Mr. Garrett, one of which—an almost new building—was occupied by Mr. Garrett as a butcher's shop, the two next ones being in the occupation of Mr. Jno. Eaton, one being used as a co-operative provision shop, and the other as a fish shop. The next shop was owned by Mr. P. Hcrapath, and was in the occupation of Mr. X. J. Philip, baker and confectioner. At the rear of the butchering establishment was a coal and firewood yard in the occupation of J. Warnford. At the time that the alarm was given Mr. and Mrs. Garrett were in their bedroom in the act of retiring for the night, and they noticed smoke issuing from the partition between their premises and Eaton's, and Mr. Garrett at once rushed out, giving the alarm, he being followed by Mrs. Garrett. The fire spread with such rapidity that little or nothing could be saved from the dwelling portion of the building, bo attention was directed towards the saving of the horses that were in the stables at the rear of the building. Whilst this was being done there, Mr. Philip had, with the assistance of a number of willing hands, set about saving as [much as possible of his furniture and stock. His horses and breadcarts were soon removed to a place of safety. It is estimated that the loss sustained by the fire will be fully £5000, and, as will be seen by the insurances given below, Mr. Garrett is by far the heaviest loser, and the amount for which he is insured will not nearly cover his lose. The same, in fact, may be said of the other occupiers of the places burnt. The insurances on the property affected by the fire amount to £2535, distributed as follows : South British office, £800 on Garrett's shop, totally destroyed, and £200 on furniture ; also £300 on cart, harness, etc., in stable, amounting to £1700. Eaton's Co-operative Stores insured in South British, £4UO on two shops, and £310 on stock in the same office. Philip's baker's shop in New Zealand office fcr £300, divided into two policies of £150 each over shop, and remainder on stock, furniture, and bakehouse. E. Warneford's coal and firewood yard, covered by policy in South British for £225, but damage is not great. The Union Insurance Company have a reinsurance of £300 on Garrett's shop, £150 of which the Equitable office have.-an interest in. The South British Company had effected re-insurance, so that their total loss will only amount to about £600. At half-past two a.m. on .Tune 25 a fire broke out in the large block of buildings in Fort-street, the property of Mr. G. Holdship. The fire was first noticed by George Daniels, the watchman, who at once gave the alarm by ringing the bell on the New Zealand Insurance Company's buildings. It was obvious to those who were at once on the spot that the fire must have been burning inside for a considerable time, as it was blazing out of all the windows from the ground . floor to the top storey — the fifth. In a few minutes the Fire Brigade had arrived, and a powerful stream of water was directed on the building. The portion burning was that at the back of Mr. H. B. Morton's premises. It was that occupied on the lower storeys by Mr. Scardon, manufactuier of jams and lollies, and on the upper storeys by Messrs. Wingate, Burns, and Co. as a store. At first it seemed as if the fire would soon be extinguished as the flames belching from the windows were quenched, but immediately afterwards the whole building seemed to light np within, and it was obvious that the flames had complete possession. The Fire Brigade worked well, but were much hampered in their efforts by having to operate in the narrow right-of-way which leads from Fort-street. A portion of the upper storeys of the building were occupied by Mr. H. B. Morton for the storage of heavy goods, such as white lead, whiting, &c. The contents of the store were entirely destroyed, and the building itself must be considerably injured. The insurances on the property are as follows : Mr. 11. B. Morton on stock, two policies in the Standard Office of £500 each, and one for £-100 in the same office for extra furniture. The stock is valued by the proprietor at £1500. Mr. Skardon, confectioner and jam manufacturer, is insured for £1000 in the United Office. He considers the stock worth £1300, and the plant (partially destroyed) £150. Messrs. Wingate, Burns, and Co. have their stock of general ironmongery, which they value at £4000, insured for £1000 in the Hauseatic Co. and £1000 in the New Zealand Co. The stock was partially destroyed by fire and water. The owner had a policy of insurance for £3000 upon his building in the Royal Co., and one for a similar amount in the Standard, but the part affected by the fire is believed to be beyond the reach of the Standard's policy. There is a policy of £1000 in the South British. At about two a.m. on the 2Sfch June a fire broke out on the west side of Newton Road, some couple of hundred yards from its junction with Karaugahape, Great North, and l'onsonby Roads. It originated in a cottage occupied by a family named Murray, thence rapidly extending to an adjoining cottage above it, in the direction of Karangahape, tenanted by a Mrs. Crowe. The two buildings destroyed were onestoried erections of a considerable age. and burned like tinder. The buildings were tho property of Mr. Probert, who had insured them in the Colonial, but who fears that he bad allowed the insurance to run out. MrMurray's furniture was insured in the N.Z. Insurance Office for £100. About three a.m. on the 27th June an alarm of fire was rung out. The fire proved to be in a six-roomed house, situated on the Mount Eden Road, occupied by Mr. W. S. Fagan, butcher, and owned by Mr. J. AKelly, of Mount Eden. The insurances are as follow : —The house, in the New Zealand Insurance Company, for £305 ; and the fence, which is but slightly damaged, for £20 in the same office. Mr. Kelly estimates his loss at £125 over and above the insurance. Mr. Fagan had his furniture insured in the Norwich Union Office for £125,

At half-past eleven a.m. on June 25 an alarm of tire was given, and soon taken up by the firebells throughout the city, and contingents of the Fire Brigade at once made their way to the scene. This was on the western side of Newton Road, at north-west point of its intersection by Sussex-street, in the corner house, occupied as a butcher's shop by Mr. Duns tan. For several minutes before the brigade appeared on tho scene and the hose was brought to bear, the flames had burst through the roof, and soon blazed fiercely. We are informed that the buildings were partially insured by the owner. A destructive fire broke out in Pitt-street shortly after two a.m. on the 2Gth Juno in a two-story wooden shop, occupied by Mr. A. C. Pelley, bootmaker. The adjoining shop, which was also his property, was unoccupiod. The fire soon got a firm hold, and spread with _ great rapidity, enveloping the wholo building, and an adjoining cottage, one of three, the property of Mrs. Nicholson, also caught. The fire spread across a lane on the southern side of Mr. Policy's property to the terrace of three two-storey houses, the property of Mr. D, Nathan. These houses were occupied respectively by Mr. Ruuciman as a a boardinghonse ; Mr. C. Rollersou, another boardinghouse; and the third by Miss j Jenkins, dressmaker, Ac, In about twenty minutes Mr. Policy's two shops were completely consumed; and tho Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Hughes, turned their attention to stopping the conflagration consuming the second and third cottages, which were occupied by Miss Donovan, teacher of music, and Mrs. 1* oxton, as a boardinghouse respectively. The first cottage was completely destroyed. The row of three houses owned by Mr. Nathan is insured in the South British for £1000, the probable damage being estimated at £000. The house belonging to Mrs. Nicholson, which was destroyed, was insured in the New Zealand Otiice for £200 : and the two others, which were slightly damaged, were also insured in the same office. The furniture in the house destroyed, which suffered seme damage from removal, was insured for £150. Air. lVlleys stock and furniture was insured in the Union Office for £300, and in the Norwich Union for £100. The Royal and Colonial Offices had tach £200 on Mr. Pelley's building. Between two and three a.m. on the 2Sth June—the usual hour—tho firebells again rang out. This time tho firo was in the block of new buildings on tho north side of Karangahape Road, just beyond the turning of the Ponsonby Road. The fire originated in tho St. George Hall, a part of which is occupied as the Newton Borough Council offices. There are in the same block four shops belonging to Mr. Lee, and we believe they were all unoccupied. All the four shops belonging to Mr. Lee were totally consumed —the St. Georges Hall, the Borough Couucil Offices, aud one shop in the adjoining block, belonging to Mr. John Morrison. The tire was un doubtedly the work of an incendiary. The values of the buildings destroyed may be estimated at: St. George's Hall and Borough Council office, £1500 ; -Mr. Gordon s shops, £1000; Mr. Morrison, 250 : furniture destroyed in hall and Borough Council office, £200. Most of the furniture in the Borough Council office was removed before the fire had extended to it;. Tne insurance* are as follows, viz, :—New Zea'and Insurance office: St. George's Hall. £1000 ; furniture and piano in hail. £125; furniture in Borough Council office (mostly removed), £100; Mr. Gordon's premises, £000. The New Zealand Insurance Company had reinsured part of their lines on the whole to the extent of £700, viz. : £350 in the Norwich Union, and £350 in the Union Insurance Offices. The six shops owned by Mr. Morrison were insured in the Colonial lusurance Office for £1400, but £250, as before stated, will cover the whole of the damage. No reinsurance has been effected by the office. A fire broke out in Randolph-street, Newton Koad, about the same time as the greater conflagration at St. George a Hall. The police at once repaired to the spot, and at about forty yards from the house met McCaslen, who said he did not know how it had originated, but i that it had broken out in his sou George's • room. They then examined the premises, discovering rags saturated with kerosene. While in the house questioning the occupier, the tire broke out in the room adjacent to that in which the police and McCaslen were talking, and Mrs. McCaslen, who was not aware that the constables were on the premises, ran into the room. On investigation it was discovered that kerosene had been plentifully used in the room which Mrs. McCaslen had just left, and she was taken in custody together with her husband. The house has been burned to a shell, It, together with another house and a stable, had been mortgaged by the .female prisoner to the Auckland Building Society, the total amount in which she is indebted on it being £400. There is also a second mortgage on the property. The whole property is insured in the South British Insurance Office for £300 — viz., £250 on the dwellinghouses, and £50 on the stable, | the amount of insurance on the premises fired being £150. The prisoners were tried at the Supreme Court on July U. he female prisoner was discharged and McCaslen was sentenced to seven years penal servitude. Another dtst'uctive fire occurred at an early hour on the 2nd July in a block or buildings in Hobson-atrtet, near the corner of Victoria-street. The block consisted of four shops, and was the property of the trustees of the late Mr. Rutherford. Only three of the shops were occupied—the tenants being, respectively, Mr. James Clark (manager of the Auckland Dairy Company), Mr. Pninimore Lee (dealer in earthenware), and Miss Reid (dressmaker and milliner). The latter only used her shop for business purposes, and did not sleep on the premises. The fire appears to have broken out in the shop occupied by Lee, and which wag between the other two, which were tenanted. It was first discovered by Policeconstable Carroll and Mr. Lumsden (telegraphist). They burst open one of the doors and roused Lee, who is an old man, unmarried, and who slept upstairs. Ike fire at that time did not seem to have made much headway, and was confined to the lower part of the premises at the rear. This was shortly before three o'clock, but that it must have been smouldering for some considerable time was apparent from the dense smoke which issued from the building and enveloped the whole neighbourhood in a suffocating pall. The whole block was completely gutted. The shops were comparatively new, having only been built six years ago. and their value is set down at £1400, at the lowest valuation. They were insured for £1000 in the Loyal Insurance office, and as they must be reconstructed of stone, concrete, or brick, the owners will be heavy losers. The other insurances effected on the occupied houses and their contents were: Mr. Clarke, £100 on his furniture in the Norwich Union ; Mr. Leo, stock, £500 in the Equitable ; and Miss Keid, stock, <£c., £150 in the South British. Mr. Clarke estimates that he has incurred a loss of £150 over and above his insurance. The fourth shop was unoccupied. Information of the burning down of the general store and dwelling attached at vVainui on the 23rd June was received by Superintendent Thomson on Monday, the 28th June. The premises were owned and occupied by Mr. H. McFadden, who was only able to save about £'10 worth of clothing. Mr. McFadden states that there were goods to the value of £800 in store, over wnich he had a policy of insurance for £450 in the Royal Insurance' Company, taken out; in 1864. On June last he took out a further policy in the same office tor £450, which included £50 on the furniture, and £80 upon two outhouses which were not burned. At about eight a.m. on the 24th of June a fire broke out at the stable owned by Mr. T. Hodgson, in Cracroft-street, Parnell, and before it could be extinguished the stable was wholly gutted. Mr. Hodgson states that he was in the building only a few minutes before the lire broke out, and can give no explanation as to how it originated. The build'ng was the property of the Auckland College and Grammar School, and was insured by Mr. Hodgson for £200 in the Colonial Insurance Office. The damage done is estimated at about £70. A spr.ngcart, chaffcutter, and a quantity of horse-feed were destroyed in addition to the building. On July 2, at half-past nine p.m., three stacks of clover bay belonging to Mr. Alfred Hills, Manurewa, were destroyed by fare. They contained eighty tons, and were valued at about £400. In addition, a small barn only just completed, in which to presß the hay, and a new -press were also consumed. It is concluded that the stacks were wilfully set on fire. A neighbour, whose house overlooks the stacks, saw a man running round them, and the flames just rising. There is no insurance on any part of the 1088.

On the night of the 22nd June a fire broke out in the store of Mr. Garland, of Awhitu, which resulted in the destruction of the building, and of its contents, there being only four bags of guru saved out of a valuable stock. A portion of the loss will bo covered by insurance, the store and stock having been insured in the Royal Insurance Company for, it is statod, £700. The origin of the tire is unknown. An outhouse, containing implements and grass seed, belonging to E. Cameron, Gi3borne, was destroyed by tire on Juno 21. The loss was £."00—insurance £200, in the National. The Paikakarika Hotel, Gisborne, was burnt down on the 22ud June. There was no one on the premises at the time. It was insured for £400 in the Australian Mercantile Union. The house of Mr. H. Walsh. Wairoa South, was destroyed by fire on July 3, at two o'clock a.m. The building was insured in the New Zealand Company, but the amount will not nearly cover the loss. Mr. Walsh, wife, and family have lost everything save the clothes they wore at the time. Mr. Gallagher's store and contents, Taupo, were destroyed by tire about half-past eleven p.m. on July 8. lhe cause is unknown. It was partly insured. There was no wind at the time, or the whole of the hotel would have been burnt.