FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8355, 8 September 1890, Page 10

FIRES.

A rrtJE broke out at eight o'clock on Tuesday evening, tho 19th August, in Mr. C. Smith's drapery shop, situate in Cubastreet, Wellington. The flames were quickly subdued, but the stock was considerably damaged by water. The fire originated at the back portion of the buildings, but nothing is known as to the cause. The stock is insured for £8775, as follows :— English offices, £2525; London and Lancashire, £250; North German, £250; Equitable, £250 ; Union, £500 ; New Zealand, £500; Imperial, £500 ; London, Liverpool, and Globe, £500; National, £750; South British, £1000 Colonial, £1500; Phcenix, £250. The building, which is owned by Mr. Smith, is insured for £1650 in the following offices :—South British, £500; Colonial, £650; North German, £200 ; Victoria, £300. The building is not much damaged. The insurances amount to £10,425. It is estimated that the fire damaged the drapery stock to the extent of £3500. About half-past three a.m. on August 12 the Newton firebell rang out an alarm of fire. As the scene of fire was in a fruit shop occupied by Mrs. Parkinson, in the Karangahape Road, immediately across from tho Newton Fire Brigade station, the firemen were soon on the ground with a hose reel. The fire was confined to the shop, which was one of a large wooden block, and they directed their attention to extinguishing the fire, which was not done until the shop was gutted. In the meantime Mrs. Parkinson got out of a back window of the upper storey in her nightclothes on to the roof of a skillion, and was subsequently got down and given shelter by a neighbour. The premises and stock of Mr. Simpson, draper, on the east side, were also damaged. Mr. Powell, chemist, on the west side, also Buffered some damage from smoke and

■water. Mrs. Parkinson was insured for £15 on the stock and £35 on the furniture, in the Equitable office. Messrs. Simpson and Powell's stocks were uninsured, but tho shop, as does the block, belongs to Mr. Caleb Wood, of Parnell. There is an insurance on the block of £1000. Mrs. Parkinson can throw no light on the origin of tho fire, which appears to have arisen about the counter.

About half-past six a.m. on August 23 a jam-maker, in Mennio and Dcy's employ, noticed smoke issuing from one of the upstair windows of the Government Insurance Company's block of buildings, Queen-street, and lie at once gave the alarm. Tho firebell at the New Zealand Insurance Buildings was rung, and Albert-street Fire Brigade Station rung up by telephone, and informed of the locality of the fire. Superintendent Hughes with a detachment of his men, the hose reel, and a ladder truck, were on the spot in a few minutes, as well as the Salvage Corps, under Captain Field. It was speedily ascertained that the fire was in the third storey of the block, above the offices occupied by the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy, and Mr. G. S. Graham, insurance agent, in which was <% lumber room. This lumber room was found to be on fire, and the fire had run along the floor til) reaching the skirting and lining, when it had gone behind the wall into Mr. Graham's office below. Part of the floor was burnt through, and the windows of the top storey were broken by tho heat. Owing to the room being lined with Blaikie's patent firo plaster the fire had not been able to make much headway, and the Brigade extinguished it in a few minutes, at a com paratively small amount of damage. Though the white plaster was nearly black with heat and smoke the walls remained intact. But for the fire-plaster the top storey must have gone. The building was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company's office for £4000. A telegram has been received by Inspector Broham from Constable McKnight, of Papakura, stating that a seven-roomed house, the property of Mr. Jas. Bell, South "Wairoa, had been burned down on tho 27th August, under the following circumstances :—The house had been unoccupied for 18 months, Mr. Bell having moved into a new one 200 yards distant. About ten a.m. Miss Bell lib a fire in the kitchen fireplace for tho purpose of warming some milk, and her little brother brought in Borne bark to put in the fireplace. A few minutes afterwards its was discovered that

> the chimney was on fire, but, aided by a i ff rvar J fc ' Andrew Buchanan, ib was, as I thought, put out, and considering there 1 was no further danger they left. About : noon Mr. Bell' returned home from a pad- » dock, and noticed (lames rising from the I roof near the chimney. He sent for the ' men, and entered the building, bub saw no 1 lire in 'ho kitchen or any of the rooms. On getting a ladder he found the lire had gained a firm hold, and therefore exerted ' himself, with others, to save some saddles and harness. The house was erected 23 years ago, and was insured in the South British Insurance Company for £95, which, it is stated by Mr. Bell, will not cover tho loss. The fire apparently has arisen through a defect in the chimney. Our To Ami correspondent writes " A fire occurred at the surveyor?' camp at this place the week before last, which destroyed everything, nothing whatever was saved— money, watches, clothes, implements, all were consumed with the house where all lodged, which was hired by them from Air. Hunt. The money was melted, the heat was so fierce. Mr. Harrington, the Government surveyor, looses something considerable. The origin of the fire is supposed to he sparks blown by tho winds. "lhrce cottages were destroyed by fire at Petone, Wellington, on August 18. Two of them were insured, one in the South British for £150, and the other in the Colonial for £145. Messrs. Beatty and McKenzie's ironmongery store, Nenthorn, C'tago, was destroyed by fire on the loth August. Fortunately there was no wind, or the whole town might have gone, as no water is available. The only insurance known is £80 in the South British on the buildings. A nine-roomed house on Aurora Terrace, Wellington, in courso of erection, was partly burnt on September 4. The contractors have a building risk of £50« in the Colonial. Mr. J. Hughes, Superintendent of the Auckland Fire Brigade, has made out the annual fire returns from July 1, ISS9, to June 30, 1890. This return, which is made out for the United Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand, gives the date and time of each firo, tho name and occupation of the occupier of tho premises in which the fire occurred, the cause of fire when known, the number of firemen in attendance, and the cost of fire-working expenses, also tho insurances on buildings and contents, and tho loss paid by the underwriters in cases where insurance was claimed. Theso particulars are all placed in tabulated form. There were during the year 28 fires, 14 chimney fires, 8 "false alarms, and 7 outsido the city, making the total number of occasions "on which the Brigade was called out 57. The average number of fires per annum for the past three years has been 51, chimney fires 20, and false alarms and for tires outside the city 27, making a total of 98, so that last year's return has been much below the average. ______