FIRES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1291, 26 November 1896, Page 19

FIRES.

Shortly before two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, a three-roomed cottage in Daniel street, Newtown, owned by MrK J. Cutler and occupied by Mr T. Ferguson, was found to be on fire. The Brigade was quickly on the scene, but owing to the interference of the public, the flange of the ball valve was broken, the ball flew out, and the water escaped, consequently the operations ot ,ne Brigade were somewhat retarded. Ihe house was gutted. The building was "™]? red JSf .£l5O, the damage being about .£BO or *yu, whilst the furniture, which was not insured, was damaged to the extent of about ±7O. Abouthalf-pastS the same night another fire occurred, the scene o? the outbreak being Douglas Wallace street, Newtown, when a four-roomed house owned and occupied by Mr John Whitworth, butcher, and a threeroomed cottage occupied by Mrs Moffatt, and owned by Mr T. Fitzgerald, Kaiwarra, were totally destroyed. Mr Whitworth retired to bed about 8 leaving a kerosene lamp burning on the kitchen table, hi* mother and brother, who resided with him, being away from home. Some time after retiring he heard a noise in the kitchen, and on proceeding there found the apartment in flames. Before the Brigade arrived the fire had taken such a hold ot the bui!ding that there was no possibility ot Pavin"- it. The house was insured tor iIUU in the South BriHsh office, but Mr Whitworth estimates his loss at .£IOO over that amount. There was no insurance on the furniture, which was valued at ±2oo. Ihe second house, which was also destroyed, was supposed to be insured, but the amount could not be ascertained. There was no risk on the furniture. A house adjoining was also slightly damaged.

A man named Harry Williams met with an aocident last week while working on the wharf at the s.s. Bakaia. Some iron was being landed, and a bar fell from the shngs, striking him on the head. Mr yitzUerald, chemist, attended to his injuries at his shop, and the sufferer was driven home. _ While assisting to coal the freezing hulk Jubilee last Friday a man named George Chapman had his head cut open by a blow from a big lump of ooal. He was taken to Mr FitzGerald's dispensary, where the wound was dressed. . .. Captain Chambers, of the s.s. Stormbirrl, met with a very painful accident last Friday. While standing near the entrance to one of the cabins on his steamer, a sudden gust ot wind slammed the door violently, and the captain's hand was caught in it and severely crushed. The end of one ot" the fingers was cut right off. The wound was attended to by. Mr W. C. Fitz Gerald. . A young lady, Miss Watson, received very serious injuries through falling from the stair-head leading, into the cellar at the Oriental Hotel on Sunday. Br Chappie was called in, and found that one of the lower rib 3 had been fractured and that she was very much bruised externally and internally. She is, however, progressing as favourably as can be expected. A youth named Farland, employed by Messrs Erenstrom and Andrews, bakers, was killed on Saturday evening on the Rangitikei line, reports the Palmerston Standard. .Deceased was riding in company with two other lads when his horse, placing its foot in a hole, fell, throwing Farland, and then rolled on him, killing him instantaneously. Deceased was aged about 16 years. His parents who reside in Palmerston, have lost two other ot their children within a recent period, and muqh sympathy is expressed for them in their sudden affliction. At the inquest the medical evidence showed that the horse trod on the boy's head, and that death was instan taneous. Reefton, November 18. A miner named John McLaren has been killed by falling down a shaft in the Consolidated Goldfields Company's Globe mine. He leaves a widow and a grown-up family. Chrirtchurch, November 23. The body of a man was found yesterday on the road near Waikuku. He got a lift from Woodend in a waggon and appears to have fallen out, and the wheel passed over him. He was about 55 years of age. It is supposed he is Richard Gallen, who has been engaged whitebait fishing in the river at Ashley. Duneein, November 22.

A gold miner, • name unknown, was found dead in bed in his hut at Deep Stream, 22 miles from Outram. He had evidently been dead for several days. Feilding, November 21. Yesterday afternoon a labourer named Jerry Harrington, aged 43, was found dead on the Junction road, 16 miles from Fowler's, Kiwitea.