FIRES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 28

FIRES.

About G o'clock on Thursday evening tho Fire Brigade received a call to a lire which had broken out in tho National Mutual Life Association Building on Customhouse quay. Tho Biigado had some difficulty in discovering tho seat of the fire, owing to the peculiar construction of the building, and considerable damage was done before tlio outbreak was .subdued. Tho fire appears to have originated in a collar under the buildingoooupiedliyMrYerex", importer, and spread thence between'tho studs and joists to the flooring and ceilings above. The main office of the National Mutual Life Association was considerably damaged, particularly in the walls and roof, and it is roughly estimated that the damage done to the building is to the extent of £IOO, whilo the contents are damaged to the extent of about £3OO. The insurances on the building arc : Standard Insurance office, £2OOO and .£501) on the rents; Victoria, Liverpool and London and Globe, National, Royal and South British offices, £IOOO onch, tho last named offico having £SOO on tho rents ; Guardian and Sun Insurance offices, .£SOO each. The North German Insuranco offico have a risk of £250 on the furniture and £2OO on the lift; and tho Manchester Insurance office, £l5O on the furniture and fittings. The water poured into the adjoining cellar occupied by Mr B. Cohen, wine and spirit merchant, and did some damage.

Mr Yerex's stock was insured for £2oo in tho United office, and he estimates his loss at about £IOO. .Mr P. Cohen's stock, valued at £IOOO, was insured for £2OO in the Commercial Union, and was damaged to the extent of about half that amount.

Wliitelaw's store atHikurangi, Auckland, occupied by Chaniiing and Bill, storekeepers, has been totally destroyed by fire. Insurances—Building, £125 in Victoria Company; stock, £250, Manchester Company. The Whangar.ita creamery, Auckland, tho propeity of tlio fanners, has been destroyed by fire. It is believed to bo a case of incendiarism. The plant was insured for £IOO in the South British.

By a fire which broke out at Lyell at 11.30 o'clock p.m.on Sunday, in tho old Commercial Hotel, that building, the National Bank, Mr Ryan's store and dwellinghouso, Mr Robert's house, and Mr Barclay's house, to tho south, and Mr Fennell's store and two storerooms, tho Empire Hotel, and tho store occupied by Mr Bennett, and owned by Mr Fennell, to the north, were destroyed. On the other side of tho road Mr Atkins' Lyell Times office, Mr Brown's shop and dwelling, Mr Carmine's, bootmaker, Mr Fennell's drapery store, Mr Holman's store, Mr MeFarluno's drapery shop, and Mr McFarlane's Criterion Hotel were completely destroyed. Nothing but a heap of twisted iron now shows where the street onco existed. Mr Fennell, wdio loses six buildings, the storo and hotel, and their contents, lias no insurance, and estimates his loss at £BOOO. Tho insurances were— Atkins, £2OO on building and plant ; Kyan, £SOO stock and dwelling ; Criterion Hotel, £150; and National Bank, £l5O. In all 20 buildings were consumed, ami soma of tho homeless families are destitute. The total loss is estimated at £20,01X).

A lire has destroyed the brick bh ck in Auckland known as Howin's buildings, containing tho business premises of Messrs F. E. Kretschmar and Co., grocers; 0. B. Thorne, umbrella-maker; J. E. Murray, fruiterer; S. Sutherland, hairdresser; E. Cash, tailor ; and Gregory, photographer; The insuranC'S are: Krotsohmar's Alliance, £lO mi j Sutherland, Nortjj German, £1.00; Cash, New Zealand, £100; Giogory, Royal, £l5O. Messrs Thorne and Murray wore uninsured. The block, which belongs to tho estate of the late Mr Hewin, was insured in the Alliance office for £2OOO.