FIRE AT PONSONBY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9394, 28 December 1893, Page 5

FIRE AT PONSONBY.

About a quarter-past four o'clock yesterday morning the city lire-bells rang out an alarm. The fire proved to be in a six" roomed house in Arthur-street, owned and occupied by Mr. Joseph Keilly, Mr. Reilly and his son, Mr. E. Reilly, were the only occupants at the time. The lire appeared to have originated in a lumberroom in the northern section of the basement, and Mr. Reilly and his ,son had a narrow escape of being suffocated, the smoke coming up through the flooring to their bed-rooms. They only succeeded in getting out when the place was in flames. As soon as possible the Ponsonby and Karangahape contingents of the Auckland Fire Brigade were on the scene, and followed by a hose reel from the Albert-street head station, under Superintendent Hughes. The tire had got so good a hold before being discovered, that the Fire Brigade could do little more than prevent an extension to the adjacent buildings. Mr. Keilly was unable to get any effects out worth speaking of. He had the furniture insured for £100, and the dwelling for £200 in the Norwich Union. The origin of the tiro is unknown. ConStables Foreman and Browne, of the Ponsonby Police Station, and Constable Finnerty, of Freeman's Bay station, were in attendance, and aided as far as was in their power.