PALMERSTON NORTH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 956, 27 June 1890, Page 24

PALMERSTON NORTH.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.) June 23. A fire broke out this morning about 2 a m. iu a small house in Lombard street, occupied and said to be owned by Mr Swallow, who is at present absent in the Feilding district. Mr .Swallow’s wife died quite recently, and there was no one, as far as can be ascertained, residing in the house at the time of the fire. Whether the premises arid the furniture (both of which were totally destroyed) were insured or not I am, after inquiry, unable to say. 1 I may remark that the removal of the firebell to its present position appears to be a very decided mistake, the surrounding buildings shutting off the sound of the alarm from three - fourths (or more) of that part of the borough throughout which it should, to be effective, be most readily heard, the result this morning being that the members of the Fire Brigade, than whom it would be difficult to find a more active, energetic, and capable body, arrived too late to be of much service. The adjourned public meeting to consider the question of purchasing the gas works will be held to-morrow (Tuesday) evening. I hear from Mr Miles, the energetic Secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society, that the subscriptions toward special prizes, which will bo on a most liberal scale this year, are coming in freely. June 24. In my letter of yesterday’s date I mentioned that, the adjourned public meeting to ensider the question of the purchase of the gasworks was to be held this evening. When I wrote I had not, owing to absence from home, seen the report of last Wednesday’s meeting

of the Borough Council, at which Councillor Lyons moved “ that no further action be taken with regard to the proposed, valuation of the gasworks by an expert,” Councillor Lyons contended that the recent public meeting was not a representative one, and that many of those present were not burgesses. The members of the Council not being all present, it was decided to defer the consideration of the motion until next meeting. but from what I can gather the question may be considered, to all intents and purposes, as “shelved.” There was an alarm of fire this morning shortly after 6 o’clock, the cause being an outbreak in the offices of Messrs Bruce and Houghton, civil engineers and land surveyors, Main street. Messrs Bruce and Houghton occupy offices on the first floor of Mr Warburton’s building, and a beam near the hearth must have been smouldering since yesterday, the fire about the time named finding its way through the ceiling of the office of Mr G„ I. Scott, D.O. A. The firebell had hardly sounded before the Brigade were on the spot, and by their well directed efforts all danger had been averted in a very few minutes, the damage, with the exception of that caused to books and papers by the copious flow of water, being comparatively trifling. Mr Warburton, solicitor, who also has his offices on the premises, has, I am informed, handed a donation of L 5 5s to the brigade in recognition of their services. I have to confirm the remarks made yesterday with regard to the position of the firebell, the firemen and tho general public all complaining that, it cannot now be heard anything like so well as formerly. The weather here is upon the whole fine and seasonable, the wind having been for some days past blowing from E. with occasional showers. The barometer to-day registers 29‘76 with downward inclination.