FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9395, 17 June 1889, Page 10

FIRES.

A I'litK broke out shortly before two a.m. on -May '24 in a grocery shop in Mount Eden Road, kept by Mrs. Pillenger. I a short time the grocery was burned to the ground, the lire then extended to the cottage on tho north side owned by Mr. I'urdie, being occupied by Mr. J. Earl, bootmaker, and on tho south side to the fine two-storey brick boarding-house, ]5 rooms, owned by Mrs. Pillenger, and where she resided. Both places were gutted. The insurances, so far as could be ascertained, are:—Grocery shop, £250 in the Imperial; insurance on stock believed to have run out last month ; boarding-house, .t'tiOO in New Zealand ; Mr. Purdie's house, £200 in New Zealand ; Mr. Earl had £50 on his furniture. The total loss is estimated at £1501).

A fire occurred at Warahoe, Thames, on tho -4th May, by which a cowshed, hayshod, and several outbuildings, together with a quantity of hay, etc., the property of Mr. IT. Cooper, were destroyed. The owner and family were away from home at the time, and incendiarism is strongly suspected. Tho loss is estimated at £100, there being no insurance. The police are enquiring into the circumstances of tho lire.

A fire broke out on the loth June in High-street, Dunedin, in the upstairs portion of the premises of Rose, Wilson, and Co., and Turnbull and Co. The place was completely gutted. Tho fire caused great excitement as there was a performance by the children of the convent school in the theatre at the time, which was just opposite. There was some delay in getting full pros of water on, and for some time it appeared as if the adjoining promises, occupied by R. Campbell and Son, and undor which was stored a largo quantity of kerosene, would also take fire. There was little stock in the buildings destroyed. Rose, Wilson and Co. 's stock is in anothor store, and what they had in the premises ycd were principally samples. (jr. Turnbull and Co.'s stock was also very light. Tho building which is owned by Mr. G. Turnbull, was insured for £1200 in the National office. Rose, Wilson and Co. had an insurance for £75 on their samples in the New Zealand office. Mr. Lawless, who had an office in which was a considerable quantity of drapery, was insured for £50 in the South British. Manders and Jones had another office in the building, but their loss is confined to office furniture, books, etc. It is believed they are insured. An unoccupied house, the property of Mr. Reid, jun., was burnt down early on May 31 at Claudelands, near Hamilton,

A fire occurred in Willough by-street, Thames, about one a.m. on May 28, by which a three-roomed cottage, occupied by an elderly woman named Love, was partially destroyed. Mrs. Love had a very narrow escape from being burned to death, as, when the firemen broke into the house, they found her lying insensible behind her bedroom door, having been overcome by the denseness of the smoke while endeavouring to make her escape. She has been an invalid for the past fourteen years. By a fire at Porirua several stacks of oats and a shed, the property of W. J. liett, farmer, were destroyed. The stacks were insured for £700 in the North British and Mercantile, of which £500 was re-insured, and £250 in the Northern Office. The shed was insured for £150 also in the Northern.

Crossan's hotel at Bald Hill Flat has been burned down. It was insured in the New Zealand Qllicc for £500.

The Omapere store and post-office, telegraph office, and hotel were totally destroyed on the 13th June by fire. They were uninsured. Mr.'B. G. Howe had his stock destroyed." The insurance was £700.