FIRE IN NELSON-STREET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7977, 17 June 1887, Page 5

FIRE IN NELSON-STREET.

Yesterday evening about 6.30 an alarm of (ire was raised in Nelson-Street, and it proved to be in the dwelling place of Mr. Francis .Sheasby, a bricklayer in the employ of the Auckland Gas Company. The Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Hughes, turned out promptly, but the fire was not suppressed till the bedroom in which it originated was gutted. The following are the circumstances: —Mr. and lira. Sheaeby left home at five o'olock to do some shopping in town, leaving the gas jets in the bedroom and in the kitchen turned down. Their daughter was away from home at the time. On roturning home and opening the door they were met by a cloud of smoke. Mr. Sheasby at once gave the alarm, and ran off to the Fire Brigade Station. The branch of the gas>jet must have sagged forward, and caused the jet to ignite the paper and scrim, and burning considerably into the lining-boards. On Detective Walker examing the bedroom he found a second fire had occurred in an adjacent corner of the same room, which appeared to have ignited aboul. five feet from the floor, burning up to the boarding of ceiling and through it, molting away 14 feet of gaspipe in the loft overhead. It had also burned through tho wood into the sitting-room, and its progress was there stopped by the Brigade. During the fire the Salvage Corps and others removed a portion of the furniture. Mr. Sheaeby is unable to throw aDy light on the origin of tho fire further than that it may have been caused by the gas-jet coming into too olose proximity to the wall. The house, which ia a sixroomed one, is owned by Mr. Sheasby, and was insured In the South British for £350, the furniture for £300.