FIRE AT PARNELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7826, 21 December 1886, Page 4

FIRE AT PARNELL.

At a few minutes past one o'clock yesterday j an alarm of fire was given in Manukau Road, r ParnelJ, and almost immediately afterwards the signal of fire was sounded from the big bell in front of the Borough Council Cham, bers. The fire was confined to a narrow space at the rear of Mr. Stillwell's bakery premises, Manukau Road, nearly opposite the old Windsor Castle Hotel. The premises consisted of a double shop facing the main road, and extending to the rear were the oven, bakehouse, and stabling belonging to Mr. Still well, the .bakehouse being a "Lie story house, and the back premises a double storey building used as a stable and loft. Mr. Richardson occupied, as a tenant of Mr. Stillwell, the premises adjoining, and his workshop was a lean-to attached to the stabling. Here he had his tools of trade, lathes, fret saws, etc., the whole of which were destroyed ; and this is a very disastrous affair for Mr, Richardson, who • had no insurance at ail, and his tools of trade are entirely destroyed, including carpenters' tools, machinery, &c,, estimated to be worth £100. Another loss to Mr. Richardson is that he has built at his own expense, the shed in which he carried on his works. Of course the fire took hold of th« weatherboard partition which divided Mr, Richardson's workshop from the sheds, and the latter were soon on fire, but the Parnell Fire Brigade was quickly on the spot, and prevented the spread of the flames. As already stated, Mr. Richardson has no insurance, and his loss is a very heavy one. Mr. Stillwell has an insurance on the building of £75 in the South British, and £50 in tbe New Zealand, and on the stock he has £50 in the South British, and £100 in the New Zealand. What the origin of the fire was is, as usual, inexplicable. Mr. Richardson had left his workshop for a few minutes to go to his dinner when his little child, three years of age, called to his mother that there was a big blaze, and following the child's gaze they found the flame in the work-* shop which Mr. Richardson had just left. The Parnell Fire Brigade was in attendance with great promptitude, and a good dousing of water from two well-directed leads, soon extinguished the flame, and prevented further danger.