FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8811, 26 February 1892, Page 2

FIRES.

At Lyttelton early on January 30 a fire alarm sounded, and it wan found that the thiji Everest, lflOO tons, which was bound to Liverpool from Sydney with a cargo of thale, and put in there for repairs, and was being repaired in dock, was on fire. The brigade was out promptly, but the lire had got a great hold aft, and when discovered it looked as if it were impossible to save the vessel. Two of the crew had been working in the lazaretto the whole day, and they pay they had not been smoking or using matches. The fire teemed to have started there. It spread with great rapidity through the cabin, luzarettc, and after part of the ship ; and precautions were taken to put holes in the bottom of the vessel ro as a last resource to let water into the dock and submerge the 350 tons of shale she had still on board. The tire raged till twenty minutes past four a.m., by which time the flames ▼/ere breaking through the hatches and *ides by tho rudder post, and tho hope of saving" the vessel was almost given up. Shortly after, three plugs were taken out of tho holes, and the water let into the dock and the shale submerged. The ship was very much damaged, the cabin completely gutted, and aft the stern post, and some of the beams aft were badly burnt and the rudder plato destroyed. The sails locker, two complete suits of sails, the store room and all the stores were completely destroyed. Captain Hibbert and wife lost all their personal effects. The jury, at the inquiry held at Lyttelton on Feb. 12, as to the fire, returned a verdict, " That the vessel had been set on fire by some person unknown but immediately afterwards Emmanuel Font, cook of the ship, was arrested on a charge of arson. The evidence showed that ho and other members of the crew had incurred debts to a tailor in Lyttelton, who trusted them on the understanding that if the ship was condemned, he should get paid. The crew evidently thought it proable she would be condemned as unseaworthy. On the night of the fire the cook came aboard, and went behind the tank aft, near where the fire began, and remained there several minutes, and soon after the fire broke out. lie made contradictory statements to tho police, and made one of the crew drunk, in order to induce him to tell a story about having heard the mate say ho had dynamite enough to destroy the ship. A kerosene tin, usually kept by tho cook, was found in the lazaretto after the fire. It wax nob there on tho previous evening. Font has been committed for trial.

A correspondent from tho Wade writes on January 111, as follows : - Mr, A. W. Thorburn's, jun., house at Orewa Bridgo was burned down last night at half-past ten p.m. There was no oric present at the time. The house was unoccupied, Mr. Thorburn's wife .and family lyiving gone North 11 few weeks ago, and Mr. Thorburn ia residing with a neighbour in the district. The schoolmaster's residence, Rotorua, was burned to the ground on February 6 about ton p.m. Most of the furniture was saved through the efforts of Messrs. iiussey and Uroker, who were early on the scene, and would have extinguished the fire altogether had water been procurable. The house was built by the Education Department twelve months a {jo at a cost of £315. A fourteen-roomed boardinghouse, named "The Cottage of Content," owned by Win. Adair and occupied by Mrs. Mcintosh, Gisborne, was destroyed by fire on Feb. 5. The insurance on the building was £250 in tho New Zealand ; on the furniture £250 in the Royal. On the lltli February a fire took place at Waikoiniti, which destroyed a two-roomed cottage owned by Mrs. Little, and occupied by her two sons, who are employed in tho adjacent locality. The building and furniture were insured in the l'hu nix for £50, but this amount, it is said, will not cover the loss sustained. A fire was discovered at Sheffield and Co.'s large grocery store, Tay-street, Invcrcargill, on Feb. 14, and though promptly extinguished great damage was done by fire and water. Tho insurance on the stock is £2700 in the New Zealand office, reinsured £1000 in South British, and£2so in Victoria. It is probable that an enquiry will bo held.

Our Maungaturoto correspondent writes : Between sunset oil Saturday, the 6th I February, and sunrise on tho /th, the house of Mr. F. Smith, with all the clothes, furniture, and provisions it contained, was burned to the ground. The family has bub lately come from Queensland to join their relations here, and this misfortune has destroyed all they had except the clothes on their persons. At the time of the fire the family was away at the Band of Hope meeting. The house was uninsured. A seven or eight roomed house at Hamilton, owned by Mr. J. T. Home, and occupied by Inspector Emerson and family, was burned to the ground on Monday evening, the 22nd February, about half-past seven. The tire originated in one of the children's bedrooms. The piano was tho only thing of any value saved. The house was insured for £225, and the furniture in the Phoenix oflice for £150. Great* sympathy is felt for Inspector Emerson and family in their loss.

On Feb. '22 Inspector Broham received a telegram from Whangaroi stating that the house and furidturo of Mr. R. P. Forrest, settler, at Mairtown, Whangarei, had been destroyed by fire on Feb. 21 at midnight. The house was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £150, and the furniture for £100 in tho North British and Mercantile.

About half-past, nine p.m. on Jan. SO a tire broke out in Mrs. Dcexan's hoarding-house, Hamilton. It was first discovered by her grandson, Mr. Geo. Hyde, who lives eloso by. He at once woke up the sole occupant fortunately at this time, Mrs. Deegan. The house and furniture were insured in the Plnenix for £173. No clue to tho origin of the lire is obtainable.