FIRE IN VICTORIA-STREET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8540, 14 April 1891, Page 5

F IRE IN VICTORIA-STREET.

Shortly before half-past three o'clock yesterday afternoon the Albert-street bell rang out an alarm of fire, and a dense volume of smoke was seen to be issuing from the neighbourhood of Freeman's Bay. The scene of tho conflagration proved to be at the junction of Victoria-street West with Custom-street West. The fire had originated in a building used by Mr. Kennedy, saddler, of Albert street, a« a store in which to keep the straw required by him for the packing of saddles and harness generally. The Fire Brigade, under the command of Superintendent Hughes, wa3 quickly on the spot, but it was at once seen that, in spite of all efforts, Kennedy's store could not be saved, and that the stable next door, which was by this time also enveloped in flames, must suffer a like fate. This stable was tho property of Mr. George Graham, and was insured in the Commercial Union for the sum of £30. It was occtipiod by , Mr. Reardon, a carter, whose principal loss consisted of a set of harness, valued at about £4. An empty house higher up the hill was also destroyed. This place had not been inhabited for a considerable timo past, and was in fact almost uninhabitable. The origin of the fire is not known with any degree of certainty, but Mr. William Williamson, an employe in Kelly and Co.'s brass foundry, who was one of the first on the spot, etates that the fire appeared to have broken out amongst the straw in Kennedy's building. Thesparksfroni the blaze did some slight damage to several of the shingleft houses in the neighbourhood, but, thanks to tho diligence of the firemen and othors, every appearance of lire was speedily extinguished. Even the shingles of the dwolling-house of Mr. Connop', about 200 yards away, took fire, but the blaze was soon noticed and quenched. The building used by Mr. Kennedy, and the uninhabited house referred to, wore owned by Mr. Samuel Trewen, who is at present in England ; and his agent,' Mr. John Currio, of Newton, states that there is no insurance upon them. He estimates the loss sustained at about £75.