FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8963, 30 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FIRES.

A serious fire broke out on Lambton Quay, Wellington, at fifty minutes past three a.m. on ths'lst January, in a doable shop occupied by Carpenter, fruiterer, and BullocK Brothers, fancy repository. The fire was first discovered in the premises of the latter, and it spread with great rapidity through the building, no much bo that in a few minutes the shop was enveloped in flimea. Carpenter's shop was very soon gutted, and the buildings south of it were in extreme danger. The City Buffet Hotel, which adjoined Bullock's on the northern side, waa soon a ball of flame. The proprietors, Orr and Sons, alone; with the lodgers, who numbered over 70, had but little time in which to escape, the majority saving but few articles of wearing apparel. Fortunately all were rescued. Within a few minutes of the alarm being rung the Fire Brigade arrived on the scene, I and with a very high pressure of water soon maaterod the conflagration, but not before I some of the premises in the vicinity had i Buffered from water, and the stock was con- | siderably damaged. The following may be taken as almost the correct insurances : — The building occupied by Bullock and Carpenter was insured for £1000 in the Colonial; Bullock's stock for £1000 in the London, Liverpool, and Globe ; Carpenter's stock for £200 in the Phoenix ; City Buffet Hotel stock and furniture was insured for £3500 in the London, Liverpool, and Globe. One building south of Carpenter's was occupied downstairs by Nelaon, Moate, and Co., tea merchants, and upstairs by Davenport, Cathie, and Davenport, clothing manufacturers. The building was only slightly damaged, and is insured in the New Zealand Office for £1000- Moate and Co.'a tea was insured in the Phoenix for £UCO, and in the London, Liverpool, and Globe for £700. The stock, however, is only slightly damaged. Davenport and Co. had most of the material in their department destroyed, and are insured in the Phoenix for £500. tlolliday's shop had & quantity of material destroyed by the water forcing its way through the roof, ! and Mrs. Richardson, who has a dressmaking | establishment on the upper portion of the j building, is a sufferer, but not to ft large extent. The origin of the fire io a mystery, Mr. Bullock states that he and his assistants I left the shop at half-past ten on Saturday night, I when all appeared to be safe. Bullock, Orr | and Sons, and Carpenter estimate their loss jat much above, the insurance. Gardner's ironmongery stock, nexttoOrrs', was slightly damaged by water. The premises destroyed belonged to the estate of the late Dr. Dives. On the 9th January, about daybreak, a fire occurred in Karangahape Road, by which Dr. Coom's stables at the rear of his residence were destroyed. At about ten minutes to four Thomas Bushby, a groom in the employ of Dr. Coom, was aroused by a glare of firo on his bedroom window, and, getting up, discovered the stable to be in flames. He got out one of the horseß in the stable and a buggy, but the other horse, along with a valuable dog, were consumed in the fire. The manner in which the fire originated is unknown, but when the fire was over the fire brigade, in pulling out some debris of consumed straw, found a quantity of lime on : the floor, which Dr. Coorn stated was uuslacked shell lime. It ia possible, if the straw which lay upon this had been at all wet, that the lime had been slaked by the action of the water, and had gradually generated heat sufficient to ignite the straw. Dr. Coom had hid horses, buggy, harness, etc., insured in the North German ofSco for £130, and he estimates hia loss to consist of one horse, £15 harness, £10 : forage, £10. The stable waa held covered by Mr. Nathan in the South British office for £100. A fire broke out in Ashwin's store, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, at one a.m. on the 17th January, and spread to Jenkins's shoemaker's shop, Wand's dwelling-house, Cfttley'e bakehouse, and Thorp's butcher's

shop, all of which were completely de-> stroyed. Nothing wa* saved. Insurances : A shwin's building. £300, Union ; stock, £300, Northern; Jenkins' shop. £IGD, New Zealand ; Atward's house, £250, in the Union ; Cathy's and Thorp's shops, together, £259, in the Union. The origin of the fire is not known. At balf-piit two a.m. on January 17 an extensive fire broke oat in Whitehead's bakery, Palmerstoa North, and property to the value of nearly £4000 was destroyed. There was a high -wind at the time, and in the absence of a tire-engine, and an inadequate water supply, the Sanies rapidly spread. Mr. Whitehead's residence and shop, Venn's wood ware and furniture factory, residence and store were all destroyed. Insurances: —Whitehead's stock, £735, Imperial ; Venn's store, £125, National; dweliiaghciue, £55, National; stock, £350, Equitable.

2\ews has arrived from Kawakawa that a fire broke out in M". K tat ley's store there on Jan. 2 about four p.m., and it was totally destroyed ; also the Government • engine shed. The origin of the fire is unknown, Mr. Keatley and family were at the Kawakawa races, held at Taumariri, at the time. The reputed loss is said to be about £1500, and there is only one poiicy of insurance on the whole premises for £500 in the New Zealand Company. Tne Tangiteroria Hotel, Northern Wairca, proprietor, Mr. R. Cossiil, was burned down on the 3rd January. Tne insurances fire : — Building £400, and stock £350 in the Union, of which £305 is reinsured in the Norwich Union, and £133 reinsured in the North German Company. Information was on Jan. 3 received from Helensvilla by the police authorities, that a five-roomed house, occupied by a man named Thomas Curtis, employed in the sawmill there, had been destroyed by fire at three a.m. on the Ist January. Mrs. Curtis and the family were absent on a visit to seme friends at Drury, and Curtis was living alone in the house. It was insured for £ISO in the Imperial Insurance Office, and the furniture was also covered to the extent of £-10.

Stephenson's Hotel and Hall at Makaraka (near Gisborne) were burned to the ground on Jan. 5. The hail was insure! for £203 in the Norwich Union, and the hotel for £230 in the Norwich Union, £500 in the Equitable. £230 in the Imperial, and £209 in the New Zealand,

Un January 26 a four-roomed dwelling, the property of Mr Wm. Turner, cf Pokenc, was burned down. The building was insure i for £50, and the furniture for £100, both risks being held by the United Fire Insurance Company. Mr Turner was away at Hamilton at the time, but Mrs Turner and the family were at heme. Mounted-Constable Hutchinson, of Mercer, telegraphed the above particulars on January 2G to Inspector Shearman. The details of the origin of the fire are not yet known, bat Constable Hutchinson is making the necessary inquiries,