FIRE IN WEAR STREET.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1107, 5 November 1879, Page 2

FIRE IN WEAR STREET.

About half-past one o'clock this morning a fire broke out in the premises occupied by Mr. Robert Keenan in Wearstreet, and resulted in the destruction and damage of a considerable amount of property. The alarm was first raised by a man named Charles Lawson, who was sleeping on the premises in the upper storey. He was awakened by a choking sensation, and discovered that the room was full of smoke. Finding it impossible to reach the lower floor by means of the staircase, he jumped from a window, and having awakened Mrs. Keenan and family, who were the only other occupants of the building, ran down the street and gave information of the fire to the polioe. A bailiff who was in charge of tho shop of Mr. M'Sweeney, discovering the fire, we believe, ran to St. Luke's Church and rang the bell. Constable Johnston states that on reaching the burning building he found the flames issuing from the front portion used as a shop, and concludes that the fire must have originated in that part of the building. At any rate, the fire seems to have started about the centre of the lower floor, but how it originated cannot be ascertained. Within a short time of the alarm being raised a large number of people congregated at the scene of the conflagration, and efforts were at once vigorously made to. remove Keenan's. furniture, James' stock, and the books, &c., in Mr. Hardy's office, nearly the whole of the oontents in each being got out speedily, though not without some amount of damage. The Tire Brigade, or rather a portion of the members of that body, were on the spot with the engine within twenty minutes of the alarm being given, and at once set to work systematically and vigorously. They speedily made their presence at the fire fe'lt, and, despite the facts that they were short-handed, owing to the aIiU'VH bell not

being sufficiently powerful to reach the members living in' the northern part of the ' town, that their appliances are incompleto, and that there was only a meagre supply of water, did a vast amount of good. .After so far as possible levelling the burning building (a wooden one) and its sheds to the ground, they directed their efforts to s;\vivtg the adjoining buildings. The malt house of Messrs. Lintoti'and Otterson on the west of Keonan's, and separated by a narrow lane, and the photographic' studio of Messrs. Ferrier and Rock, above Mr. James' Venetian blind factory, and Mr. J. Hardy's office, were by this time o.q gre. Turning their attentioti first ta the malt house, which, was p,n lire in two places, they brought a stream of water to bear upon it, and quickly ended all danger in that quarter. They then commenced operations upon Messrs. Ferrier and Rock's premises, but great delay was experienced through the want of water, the Brigade having to change the position of their engine three &i«qs in order to obtain 11 supply, and finally to carry water to it in buckets from all manner of sources. However, aided by a pretty copious supply of water thrown upon the studio by a force-pump on the lower part of the building, with pipes leading up to the roof, the Brigade were not long, in overcoming the devouring element and stopping the further progress of the flames. All this was accomplished, notwithstanding tlie difficulties to be oonteijded against, in little more than an hour fro in the time of th;e first alarm being given.. We cannot too highly compliment the Fire Brigade upon the excellent manner in which they worked and it is saying but little toassertthat they have already established a strong claim for assistance from the people of tfye town. building, w.hiotx belonged to the -trustees in Mr- H, Kite's estate, and was ljased to Mr. Keenan, was totally destroyed. It was insured by Mr. Kite for L 250 in the New Zealand Company, and by Mr. Keenan in the same company for L2OO, while he had a policy for LIOO on his furniture in the same office. Ll5O of this amount is i'vinsured in the North British, Messra, Ferrisr and Rock are, we believe, the heaviest losers, for though their instruments were saved, most of their negatives (the collection of seven years), a large quantity of chemicals, and some fixtures were destroyed. They estimate tlieir loss at L3OO, and their stock and furniture, were only insured for L2oQ ill t]}ft Sojith British Qompany. Jlardy's office and James' factory, the upper portions of which (forming she principal part of the photographic studio)' were almost completely destroyed, were also insured in the South British for L3OO. The Company will, we understand, repair the damage without delay, so that Messrs. Ferrier an 4 Rock will shortly be re-established- in business, James' stock, whioh was nearly all saved, was insured in the Colonial for LIOO. Messrs. Lintott and Otterson's malt house was, .only slightly damaged, antl the damage .is covered, by insurants iii - the South British;' : 3sr. 33dwarj% stock damaged to some extent by removal, most of it being carried out id anticipation of the fire spreading. His loss is covered by insurance in the

New Zealand office. As we have already stated, the' origin of the fire cannot be ascertained. Mr. Keenan was away from home, and all the inhabitants were sound asleep when the fire was discovered. It is fortunate that the buildings surrounding that destroyed were composed of stone, otherwise, with the strong wind blowing, there is no knowing to what extent the fire might have spread, despite the praiseworthy efforts of the Brigade.