FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8987, 27 February 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FIRES.

FIRE AT DEVONPORT.

At about twenty minutes to four o'clock on Sunday, Feb. 19, the most extensive and destructive fire which has ever occurred at the North Shore broke out in Victoriastreet (the main street), in the most thicklypopulated portion of the district, and raged with such fury that in a very short time nine shops and houses were levelled to the ground. The fire broke out in a house owned by Mr. John Patterson in a portion of the premises occupied as a shop only by Mr. Alexander Geath, who carries on business as a barber and tobacconist, but who did not reside on the premises. The house altogether contained 11 rooms—eight on the ground floor and three upstairs. Mr. Geath occupied the two front rooms at the south end of the block, adjoining Mr. Oliver Mays' large block of brick buildings. The two next rooms were occupied by Mrs. McGinness, as a dressmakers' establishment and dwelling, and the other four rooms on the ground floor and the three upstairs rooms were occupied by Mr. John Patterson, the owner, as a dwelling for himself and family.

The brick wall of Mr. O. Mays' block formed a barrier to the spread of the fire towards -the Flagstaff Hotel, but there was a strong S. W. breeze blowing, which carried the flames rapidly in a northerly direction into a fine block of substantial buildings, owned by Mr. James Mays, consisting of a large »hop and dwelling house of seven rooms, occupied by Mr. James Holmes as a front shop and dwelling. From thence it spread into another large block, also owned by Mr. James Mays, consisting of a large draper's shop and dwelling of seven rooms. This was occupied by Mr. A. E. Fenton as a drapery establishment and dwelling. This was soon a mass of flames, and the next building to catch was a fourroomed cottage owned by Mrs. Davis, and partly occupied by Mrs Tye as a fruit shop, the other half being occupied by Mr. Frank Baker, as a boot and shoe shop, but neither of the tenant® resided on (he premises. The

next block attacked was ownZTT ' " John Jervis, and consisted of four ci, y ilrdwellings, including seventeen rLm 1 ® atul dition to the shops. The first a ? maclvacant ; the second was occnniJi 7 P mson, as a boot shop and dwells ß R °" the fourth as a fruit shop hi Van Leonard. This block w!' l%■ A. wreck, and the fire caught on' 7 a misea owned by Mr. ° Willi pre ' chanan, and occupied as a hljT fiu ' shop by Mr. John Cogan. Her? was checked from travelling fnrtU • fir direction by the brick party v/M Bennett's large block of buildin Irthe whole efforts of those 3' arid devoted to confine it to these r^ 6 and more especially to prevent if' < 1 spreading into the tenements in th« v° m street, where there was food for fir « nature which would render a fearful h a tation inevitable, endangering thn \ Va? ' block from Mr. O. Mays' brick bWI and including the Flagstaff Hotel t> t0 stables, and all the premises in the n bourhood. 119 nei gh-

Heroic efforts were made to stav tv progress of the fire at this point ami ■ efforts of the residents were aided h'v „" e of blue jackets from H.M.s. OpaL want of a water supply was much felt INSURANCES AND LOSSES. ' Tho losses are in many instance heavy. Mr. Patterson's block of build;* that in which the fire originated, consist' of eleven rooms, is only insured for the Royal. Mr. Geath, barber and toW 1 nist, had an insurance of £85 on his s wi°' Mrs. McGinnes, dressmaker, had no in? ance whatever, and loses all her stool- SU j furniture. Mr. Patterson had no' in=ura on his furniture or effects, all of which u destroyed, and himself, wife, and fam are left without clothing except what th escaped in. Mr. James Mays had an in J? ance of £300 in the National office on nr, • his blocks. Mr. Holmes, the occupant 1 these premises, had no insurance on hi stock or effects, but by the exertions of th neighbours a considerable portion of the; 9 was saved. Mr. Mays' second buildino insured in the Royal for £500, but Jh A. E. Fenton, who occupied the build' ing as a drapery establishment, had no* a shilling insurance on his stock or furniture. It is said that his stock was valued at £1200, and about half of it was saved, bub his loss is a crushing one Up to within a few weeks ago Mr. fenton had an insurance of £800 on his stock, and he was recently negotiating for an insurance of £500, meaning to reduce in consequence of the increased rates, but unfortunately the insurance has not been effected. M Davis's four-roomed cottage was uninsured and so also were the stock of the tenant*' Mrs. Tye and Mr. F. Baker, and very li of the effects from these places were saved as no one resided on the premises. Mr. j' Jervis's whole block of four shops and 17 rooms was insured in the Equitable for £500, and he had no insurance on his drapery stock and furniture, but a considerable proportion of these were rescued. Mr. Robinson, bootmaker, one of the tenants' was also uninsured, but his stock was mostly saved. Mr. Leonard, who occupied the fourth shop as a fruit shop, was uninsured! and very little was saved from his pre! mises. The blacksmiths' shop, owned by Mr. Buchanan, was uninsured, but the tenant, Mr. Cogan, had an insurance of £50 on his stock-in-trade. Mr. Bennett's premises are insured for £500 on the house, £300 on the stock, and £150 on the furniture, but the only damage sustained was to the stock in course of removal, and Messrs. Johnson and Noble, drapers, who occupy the premises next Mr. Bennett's chemist shop, also sustained some trilling damage from the same cause. The. north wall of Mr. Oliver Mays' brick building has been damaged and cracked by the intense heat. Mr. Mays is insured for £1500 in the NewZealand office. Mr. J. C. Spinley, who occupied the shop at this end of the building, as a plumber and gasfitter'3 establishment, also sustained some damage from water used in preventing the interior of the building from catching fire. He had an insurance policy of £75 on his premises. ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.

It is extremely difficult to form any guess as to the origin of the conflagration, for in the barber's premises in which it originated there were no fires used at all. Mr. Geath was on the premises up to a quarter to twelve on Saturday night, and states that, before he left the shop he extinguished all the lights, and left everything secure. He admits that he was in the habit of heating water on a gas jet which projected from the wall, but he does not think it possible that this could have set fire to the wood. It has been suggested, in default of a more feasible theory, that some persons smoking in the tobacconist's shop carelessly dropped a match on to some substance which smouldered, and the inflammable materials in the shop, matches, &c., spread the blaze with great rapidity when they ignited.

FIRES IN WELLINGTON. Three fires broke out in Wellington on February 4—nil within an hour of eacl other. The first outbreak was in Old Custom house-street at a few minutes before midnight, when a block of one-storied buildings, occupied by Davidson (turner and joiner), F. W ills (accountant), Wallis (chairmaker), Staples (boot factory), and Geary (blacksmith), was discovered to be on fire. The flames spread rapidly, and soon had a firm hold of the buildings. Davidson's property was insured in the Colonial for £100. His loss amounts to about £60.

About half-pasb one another fire broke out in the shop of Mr. Hepper, boot and shoemaker, Willis-street- The flames were, in this case, extinguished without the assistance of the Brigade. At two o'clock the firebells again rang out an alarm. The outbreak this time was in Mr. John Beck's timber-yard, Dixonstreet. The flames rapidly spread through the whole mill, completely devastating ttie premises. Besides the mill, two small onestoried cottages and some small outbuildings in Taranaki Place, and another house in Leeds-street were gutted. The following are the insurances Douglas' house, £I*'> South British ; Butler's house, occupied by Steer, £60, Schultze; three houses, £100 each, Liverpool, London, and Globe; Crabtree's foundry, £200, South British ; J®"* dan'a house, Eva-street (scorched), £}•"• South British; Thomson's furniture, £i°> Now Zealand; total, £935. All the fires broke out under suspicion' circumstances, and on the 4th February a detective arrested two men, John Collins and Reuben Hindon, on the charge 0 having fired these premises. Collins is 3 young man, but Hindon is an old offender, and has iust been discharged from g®?» where he nas been serving a sentence tOi larceny.

FIRE IN PUHIPUHI FOREST. Our Whangarei correspondent, telegraphing on February 4, says An immense nr is now raging in the Puhipuhi fore=Another smaller one has also got into it a the northern end, next to Kuapekape '£>• Both fires are supposed to have star from settlers' clearings a long way off. weather still continues dry and windy. The Minister of Lands has received ate e gram from the Chief Surveyor at Aucklan ' stating that two men have been arreste suspicion of having set fire to the U "'P • forest with the object of getting at sa gum more readily. Ranger Garsea, , charge of the forest, recognised the ace as being near the bush previous to the > and Scwt. of gum has been found in . possession. The men, it appear s > ' licenses to dig for gum in the forest ° the winter, but on account of the a to the forest during the summer, un 'c and others were warned that on no a would they bo allowed to continue pe tiona during the warm months.

BUSH FIRES AT MATAKANAThis district has recently been the s ""® some of the most extensive and dest bush fires known in local history, and a few opportune showers, that sli J tarded the fires, the damage would been much more serious in direct ' g- cr fortunately future generations * , forest) from the present destruction of _ nera . trees that will not be repaired 8 tt j a possibly never. ihere indischance of saving bush when hre fc ghowerg criminately lighted before the , , a mp at the fall of the season _ slightly & M (be surface. However des . al bet t<;r to have a clean burn, it would be up » have a little extra troub! le . . 3urin§ than have the worry and fires with burnt grass, fences and a F stock. The dividing range tha^orm^, watershed to fcb® north*west of

. been riddled with tires. One ran Through to Fakiri to the bush limit, a distance of five miles, and it is feared that a few „. ir s ill point to the entire destruction of the indigenous bush with which the ranges nre now clothed. Apart from the picturesque " koround to the district .ormed by those "fid hills, that are too rugged for cultiv ion the part they hold in the economy of Nature in influencing the distribution of moisture will be seriously impaired if denuded of trees. Old residents state that the removal of the bush at the base of the ranges has influenced the distribution of rain so far that many years, on the approach of rain, the Tamahunga mountain Lcime enveloped in clouds that condensed and fell in rain. Now clouds rely are seen on the mountain, the warmer atmosphere dissipating the moisture. It is said that our climate is becoming drier but meteorological records do not .how sufficient proof. The prevalence of bush fires, although assisted Dy the comparative dry seasons, is as much assisted by the quantity of fallen timber that has of l ite years encumbered the bush, caused by the comparative extinction of some indigenous trees, notably the tawa, which has exposed the undergrowth and surface to the «un • also injuring the roots which, in the majority of New Zealand trees, are lateral, and must have shade like the undergrowth. The inflammable nature of the bush is in ilked contrast to the difficulties early settlers experienced in getting fire to run in the bush to kill undergrowth.—[Own Correspondent.] __________

About half-past twelvea.ra. on January3l a fire broke out in Spring-street, Freeman's K.iv in the middle house of a block of three two-storeyed gabled buildings, thecentreono of which was burned to the ground, while the adjoining two were completely gutted. The "dwelling in which tho outbreak occurred, a? well as the adjacent one at the corner of Spring-street and Alma Place, are the property of Mr. Archibald Anderson, engineer, who resides in one, while the other i« occupied by his mother and a Mr. and "\lrs. Scott. On January 30 the only person in Mr. Anderson's house was his son David, 0UU (t man of about 20, who is quite at a , * to explain the origin of the lire. He states that lie had a fire in the diningroom j *;i]f the evening and cooked some supper, but left nothing but & few Lhes which might have been smouldering when he went to bed. He was awakened bv the smoke, and when ho got up the li' o u-e was in flames. He endeavoured to rvt out and threw up the window for th-it purpose, but was choked by the dense smoke, and fell forward into the room, but was subsequently rescued by Mr Dilley, who had been aroused. JLho Ponsonby" Fire Brigade were early upon the scene, and soon had a lead of hose play * in cr on the burning building. They were j gtieedily assisted by the City Brigade, under "Superintendent Hughes, A contingent el the fire brigade of H.M. s. Opal also came to the fare, but were too late to be of any great use. The grocery shop of Mr. Waring, which is opposite the houses destroyed, caught fire at the eaves and was somewhat scorched, but beyond this the flames were confined to the buildins-? mentioned. Mr. Anderson's two buildings were insured in the Union for £100. The third house, belonging to Mr. Trayes, was uninsured. Between two and three a.m. on the 31st January, the dwelling-house of Mr. R. B. Waterton, at Cleredon (Wairoa South), was totally destroyed by fire. The family had gone to bed at their usual time, thinking that everything was quite wife. About two o'clock in the morning Mr. Waterton was awakened by smoke issuing from the dining-room, and, on opening the dining-room door, he discovered that the whole room was on fire. Mr. Waterton had barely time to get his family out of the house, before the whole place was in a blaze. Very little of the furniture was saved. There was a piano destroyed that was quite new. Mr. Waterton can in no way account for the origin of the tire. lam given to understand that the house and furniture are insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £320. A four-roomed house in Edinburgh-street Newton, was destroyed by fire at an early hour on the 4th February. The premises were occupied by Mr. and Mrs. J. Boyle, ami they know nothing of the origin of the fire, only being aroused about half-past one o'clock," when they found the dwelling almost wrapped in flames, and they had only time to escape, none of the furniture or other contents of the house being saved. The Newton contingent of the Fire Brigade arrived shortly after the outbreak, and stayed tho progress of the flames, only, however, when the house in which the fire arose had been gutted. The premises, which were owned by Mr. O'Bovle. were insured in the London and Lancashire office for £100, whilst the furniture was protected by a policy of £100 in the Victoria office. A tire occurred at the Thames on the 4th February about four a.m., on the premises of Mr. Cas ley, baker, Brown-street, which resulted in the house being destroyed and several others wrecked. Fortunately the morning was calm, and the light wind wafted the sparks seawards. The premises ■)f Mr. Green, hatter ; Miss Ellen Kane, jordial vendor; and Mrs. Minns, dressnaker, were either gutted or rendered uninjabitable, for whilst the walls are standing the roofs are gone. The fire extended to near the beach, amongst fences and outhouses. There is insurance by Mr. Peck for £100 on the house occupied by Mr. Casley, and the premises next Rickitt's stables, owned by Michael Brown, for £50, both in the Norwich Union. The houses are not on the business side of the street, and the leases expire in about a year, therefore they were not considered of great value. The total loss would probably be £500 or £GQO. Mr. Casley estimates his loss at £150, Mr. Green at £10, Miss Kane at 15 ; Mr. Peady, butcher, on the west side of Mr. Casley, suffered to the extent of about £30, his premises being scorched, and a large number of fowls destroyed. Early on the 7th of February a house in Liverpool-street was burned down. It had been untenanted for a fortnight. The proprietor, Mr. Archibald Campbell, carpenter, had been in it on the previous night up to ten o'clock, repairing it for occupation. The tire was first discovered by tho Messrs. Chaplin, but it had then a good hold, and they gave the alarm to Mr. Chambers, who lives next door. The Fire Brigade was soon on the ground, but too lateto save Campbell's premises. Chambers' house was only slightly damaged. The origin of the fire is a mystery. The stores at Pukerau of Craig, McKenzie, and Co., and Dawson, Dunedin, were burned to the ground on Feb. 13. The insurances are not known, but Craig, McKenzie, and Co. are understood to have £100 on the building and £300 on the stock in the South British. Dawson was burned out a few months ago.

Inspector Thomson, Wellington, has received a telegram from Constable Culliman, at Pahiatua, as follows :— " A man named John Doran died suddenly, about five miles from Pahiatua, on Feb. 5. He was in company with four other men setting fire to the tush. They tried to bring the body with them, but were prevented by the fire, and "Were obliged to leave the body."

At nine p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, the manager's residence, attached to the National Bank, Napier, was discovered to be on fire in an upstairs room. The fire brigade soon had several jets on the lire, which however took a long time to subdue, as the main body of flame was between the ceiling of the upper room and the roof. The damage will be considerable, as probably the whole roof and ceilings will have to be renewed, and the damage by Water in the lower rooms made good.

A five-roomed house at Kent-street, Surrey Hills, was destroyed by fire early on the '2nd February. The house was in the occupation of Mr. Henry Matthews, a fi'ghtsoihnan, and he left for 'his work 88 usual shortly before twelve o'clock the previous night, leaving a lighted candle the table in the kitchen. He called jo his wife to extinguish the candle, but she, nearly asleep, did not hear him, and it is surmised that the fire was caused through the candle falling. A fire was aiso left burning in the grate when ■Matthews left the house. Mrs. Matthews nd ,, six children were sleeping in the celling when the fire broke out, and they ere aroused by a sense of suffocation, the m V n wl,ich they were sleeping being of smoke. They had only time to r?^ n Pe, and were not able to save any of sum U i m ™° re except a little bedding. The Mm? in notes and gold, belonging to fum-f ' Was ' ost ' n the fire. Matthews' Zeiln.lr>^ aa insured for £50 in the New of Mr White 6 ' house was the property

A cottage opposite the residence of Mr. Olphert, at Mount Albert, was destroyed by fire on the 6th February. The house had been unoccupied for a considerable time, and nothing is known as to the cause of the fire.

A nine-roomed house at Makeka, near Gisborne, owned and occupied by James Punlop, was burned to the ground on the 14th February. £80 worth of furniture was saved. Insurance, £350 on the houso and £250 on the contents, in the Colonial, and £.150 on the contents in the National Office. Tho origin was sparks from the chimney. About a quarter-past two a.m. on Fob. 10 the Grey-street firebell gave an alarm. The fire proved to bo in the residence of Mr. James Hill. In a short space of time the Auckland Fire Brigade under Superintendent Hughes, ana the Salvage Corps under Captain Field were on the ground, as well as a party of tho " liberty n men of H.M.s. Opal, who had been attending an entertainment at Newton, and had remained for the concluding dance. As soon as possible two leads of hose were got out, with a view of playing upon tho burning building, and preventing the fire spreading up or down the street. In the meantime, tho two-storeyed house above it, owned and occupied by Mr. W. Adams, had been emptied of its furniture, as also the premises of Mr. J. Volkner, tinsmith, of the stock. Despite the exertions of tho Brigade, the roof of Mr. Adams' house caught, and the fire was not suppressed until the house in which it originated had boon destroyed, and Mr. Adams' residence completely gutted, Mr. Volkner's being also considerably damaged. The origin of the fire is a mystery, but. there is reason to believo that it originated in Mr. Hill's kitchen in the basement. Mr. Hill's bedroom was on the ground floor, and he and his wife were awoke by tho crackling noise. They were unable to do more than get out the children, Mrs. Hill escaping in her nightdress. Ho is unable to throw any light on tho origin of the fire. His furniture, which was wholly destroyed, was insured for £100 in the Norwich Union, The house is owned by Mr. W. T. Parker, saw-doctor, who resides in a houso at the back. He had it insured for £200 in the Norwich Union, and as it was sevenroomed, ho is a considerable loser. Mr. Adams had his house insured for £300 in tho Royal, and the furniture in the same office for £150. Tho total damago is about £1000.

As is usual at this season of tho year, several bush fires are reported from several parts of the colony. In tho winter season bush is felled for clearing purposes, and when it has become dry, and the weather is suitable, the settlers kindle the foiled bush. Occasionally these settlors' fires spread beyond the limits intended, and during calm weather clouds of smoke are seen hovering in all directions in a way calculated to excite the fears of many. In the South, and in Australia, these tires appear to have been more prevalent and destructive than in the Auckland district, though here a good deal of scrub, fern, tea-tree, &c., have been destroyed. Some valuable timber is reported to have been more or less injured ; but it is hoped that the loss will not prove serious.

About ten a.m. on February 10, while a number of men were engaged in threshing oats and wheat on the tarm of Mr. John Scott, jun., of Mangere, a fire broke out in some loose straw behind ono of the oat stacks, and was noticed first by the proprietor, who instantly gave the alarm. Mr. W. Danwoodie, who was on the spot, with great promptness reversed the lever of the traction machine, and attaching the threshing mill drew it away safely, tho only damage beins* a portion of the mill being charred. Had it not been a traction machine it and the mill must have been destroyed. Tho straw elevator was destroyed. Mr. Scott cannot give any reason for tho outbreak, further than that it may have been a spark from the engine. Mr. Scott has tho sympathy of the neighbouring farmers, as his crop this season was a remarkably good one. The loss is estimated at £350, there being no insurance on it. The dwelling of Mr. Cornelius Egan was burned down at Whiriwhiri on the Bth Feb. Nothing was saved. It was insured for £130, and the furniture for £50 in the South British Insurance Company. Constable Parker, of Waiuku, telegraphs to Inspector Shearman that the origin of the fire is supposed to be the bursting of a kerosene lamp. The dwelling-house of Mr. W. A. Coates, at Hastings, was burnt down on Feb. 11. Nothing was saved. The Insurances are : House, in the Union office, for £400 ; the furniture in the Now Zealand office for £400.

A large fire occurred on Feb. 13, the block from Gallie's corner to Cott's, tobacconist, on the west side of High-street, Carterton, being entirely destroyed. The fire originated in an unoccupied corner store, formerly Gallie's, about a quarter to one, and destroyed Wood's auction rooms; Bernard's, watchmaker ; Lindop, chemist; public hall; Cott, fruiterer and tobacconist. The origin is unknown. Barnard was uninsured ; Lindsay had £400 on building and £200 on stock and furniture, Cott £250 on building, stock uninsured. A building on the other side of the street, and the Marquis of Normanby Hotel, were scorched and the windows broken. Fortunately there was no wind. The fire is supposed to bo the work of an incendiary. A fire occurred at Hastings on tho 12th of February, destroying the residence of T. Doney. The insurances are : House and furniture, £700 in the Union. The Aratapu firebell rang out an February 18, and the members of the Fire Brigade were soon seen running to the muster trom several directions. Captain Pivott was enjoying a game of cricket whesi the summons rang out, but he soon gave up his sport, and started for Aratapu at a good pace, and succeeded in doing the mile in very good time. The scene of the fire was found to be at the extreme end of the Sash and Door Company's property, where tho surplus slabs are consumed. The fire seems to have spread from thence towards the houses at the western end of our Parnellstreet. The Fire Brigade quickly had two baby engines and a larger one on the s{iot, and there'being a good supply of water, the fire was soon extinguished.[Own Correspondent. A five-roomed houso at Roslyn, Otago, owned and occupied by Martin Lyons, was burnt down by the upsetting of a kerosene lamp. Insurance, £400 in the Manchester Office.

A nine-roomed houso afc Kensington, Otago, owned and occupied by Mrs. Neltons, was burned down at midnight on Feb. 18. The house and furniture was insured, but, owing to Mrs. Nelton's illness, no par ticulars are ascertainable.

Two stacks of oats, the property of Mr. G. Ellet, Hautapu, were destroyed by fire on February 15, caused by some rubbish being burnt in the vicinity, the fire igniting the stacks.

Spillancs' store and dwelling-house, at Eketahuna, were burnt down on Feb. 15. It is supposed that the cause was the bush fire. The insurance on the stock and furniture amounts to £500, and on the building to £50, in the Equitable office.