FIRE AT NAPIER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 37

FIRE AT NAPIER.

Tho serious tiro which occurred in tho Masonic Hotel, leased by Mr Frank Moeller, and owned bv Messrs Neal and Close, broko out in the kitchen, and the back portion of the hotel, facing the Marino Parade, was completely destroyed up to the central staircase. The whole of tho Hastings street section is intact, but is of course thoroughly gutted. The large brick portion, of three stories, is practically not damaged. The goods in tho shops of Messrs C. Beresford (tobacconist), K. T. Smythe (bookseller and stationer), Burnett (clothier) and Cedes (chemist) were damaged by water. The insurances on the hotel, so far as can be ascertained, amount to £4500, divided as follows : —lmperial, .£250; Alliance, -£500; Standard, £ 500; New Zealand, .£500; Phoenix, .£500; London and Lancashire, ,£SOO ; Liverpool, London and Globe, £250 ; North British and Mercantile, £250; Victoria, £250; Norwich Union. £IOOO. Contents—Norwich Union, £1000; Manchester, £OOO ; United, £OOO ; Mr Moeller’s library, £SO in the Alliance, and piano £3O in the New Zealand. Palmer’s stables £lOO, South B: itish ; contents, £IOO in the Alliance. Tho brick stables are damaged, but are uninsured. Beresford’s stock, £l5O in the Manchester. Smythe’s stock, which is damaged to the extent of £IOO, was covered in the Manchester, New Zealand and Victoria offices ; Burnett’s stock (damage £100), South British, £250, and Manchester, £250. Mr Moeller is a heavy loser. One of the heaviest losers is Mr T. Morrison, tho wellknown journalist, who happened to be at Hastings on Friday, having gone there to report tho Premier’s mooting on behalf of tho press Association. Mr J. Maginnity, th e well-known musician, also lost much of his property,

The residence of Air C. G. Day, Tiuualio’ e, Auckland, burned down, was insured lor £l2.>, and the furniture for £75, in the South British office.

A fire in Gloucester street, Christchurch, destroyed Jewel’s cabinetmaker’s shop, and slightly damaged the adjoining premises. There are no insurances.

In a fire which occurred in C'ollingwood street, Nelson, a young man named Ernest Webb was asphyxiated by the smoke. 11 is remains were discovered last week only a little burned. He had tried to get out of the front window upstairs, and apparently fell under an iron bed, overcome by the smoke. It is thought that he crawled into tho room adjacent to his own, and under the bed in which his remains were found, in order to give tho alarm to the occupants. Deceased was a single man, 21 years of age, and well liked. His parents live at Wanganui.