FIRE IN WILLIS STREET.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2642, 17 October 1895, Page 2

FIRE IN WILLIS STREET.

A live broke out about 9.30 yesterday morning in a two-story wooden building in Willis street occupied by J. Smith, restaurant-keeper, and H. Headman, tobacconist. The Fire Brigade, under Captain Kemsley, being alanued by Mr W. F. Shortt, auctioneer, were quickly on the spot, but ns a strong north-westerly wind was blowing at the time they were unable to subdue the outbreak before the building was gutted, and several of the adjoining premises had also been badly damaged. Inspector Pender and Sergeant - Major Eamsay, with a number of constables, arrived soon after the fire broke out, and with the assistance of a squad of blue jackets from H.M.S. Eingarooma, assisted the Brigade by keeping back the large crowd who had assembled. The restaurant, which was tho property of the Wellington Meat Export Co., was insured for £6OO in tho Commercial Union, and £7OO in tho South British offices, and tho contents, the major portion of which wore destroyed, wore insured for .£2OO divided equally between tho Manchester and North German offices. H. Headman, tho occupier of tho tobacconist’s shop adjoining, had no insurance on his stock, all of which is practically destroyed. Next to this building was one owned by the estate of J. and H. Barber, and occupied by W. Murphy, tailor, and W. Eiggs, fish seller. The property of both of the occupants were uninsured, and they have lost almost all their goods, but the building was covered by a risk of £4OO in tho Now Zealand Company. ■ Tho building on tho other side of the 'restaurant, which was occupied by Mr Eigarlsford, jun., butcher, and Mr T. Dwan, Weekly Herald office, also suffered considerably. It also belongs to the Meat Export Company, and is insured for £SO in -tho Commercial Union and £IOO in the North British office. The contents of the Weekly Herald office, which are insured in the Commercial Union office for £3OO and in the National office for £2OO, have suffered to tho extent of about Messrs Jenness and Co., jewellers, who own and occupy the premises at the corner of the block, did not hurry to remove their goods, thinking that they were in no danger from the fire. Becoming alarmed by the rapidity with which it spread, however, they at length made a start, but by that time tho stock ; had been thoroughly saturated by the immense quantities of water poured on tho roof. The building is insured in the Norwich Union for £4OO. The stock and plant, which have boon seriously damaged, were insured for £SOO in the Commercial Union office.

Some excitement was caused during the progress of the fire by a report that a man was missing. It appears that about 10 o’clock on Monday night a man asked for a private bedroom, and was shown into No. 2 room on the upper floor. When the servant, Annie Wise, wont to make the beds in the morning she found the door looked on the inside, and proceeded to some of tho other rooms on the same floor. Shortly afterwards she saw fire coming from the direction of this man’s room, and immediately afterwards Mrs Smith called out to her that tho place was on fire, upon which she ran down stairs, being slightly scorched by the flames in her progress. Nothing more was seen of tho occupant of room No. 2, but, as the window was subsequently found to be open, it is supposed that he made his way through it, on to a lean-to, and thence to the ground. The room was carefully searched, but no trace of his body was found among the debris.