"FELLMONGER'S PREMISES DESTROYED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 36

" FELLMONGER'S PREMISES DESTROYED.

At 7.30 a.m. on the 28th inst. the Caversham Fire Brigade was called to a fire that had broken out in a two-«torey wood and iron building belonging to Mr R. A. Cleland. in Glen road, Caversham. The 'building, «n ©W one, was used partly as a fellmonger'g and partly as a mat faoory. The lire spread rapidly through the building, the contents of wjbich included a boiler, engines, and machinery. A quantity of aoraps of wool were lying about, and it {«• supposed that the fire originated among feem by means of sparks from the boiler,

where a fire had been smouldering through the sight. The building was totally destroyed, the loss being estimated at £800. The factory was locked up as usual by the foreman, Mr C. Fogarty, at noon on Saturday, when everything appeared to be safe. The fire was discovered bY Mr John Conn, of Glen road, who gave the alarm and the brigade and Constable Glass were speedily on the scene. The property was insured as follows: —Building, £350; stock and plant, £300; machinery and contents, £150; all in the Alliance Assurance Company. A five-roomed house, occupied by Mr Hugh Hannah, in Argyle street, Mornington, was destroyed by fire on the 24th insfc Mr George Wallace, who resides in the same street, first noticed the fire, which was then in the kitchen, the room immediately in front of it also being in flames. The fire spread rapidly, and' the building was completely gutted. There was no 'one in the house at the time, Mr and Mrs Hannah having gone to visit someone at South Dunedin. They left home at 7.15 the previous evening, and did not return that night. A fire was left burning in the kitohen range, and this may .have had something to do with tihe outbreak. The house was insured for £200 in the Phcenix offi"». and the furniture for £100 in the Commercial Union i office, but Mr Hannah estimates hie loss at £75 over this amount. The total loss is estimated at £150 over the insurances. The owner of the house is Mr Robert Sainsbury, bootmaker, of South Dunedin. Our Lawrence correspondent, writing on the 25th, says:—The firebell tolled an alarm about 11.45 a.m.. to-day, and a glance round showed huge volumes oi smoke issuing from the hayloft above Mr John Thompson's stables in Lancaster street. The fire brigade was quickly on the spot, but unfortunately the water mains had been emptied this morning to admit of the small corporation dam being cleaned out, so that by the time the brigade got any water on to the fire the^ building and contents were practically demolished. The horses and traps were removed from the lower part of the building as soon as the alarm was given. It is understood that the build- j ings and contents were covered by insurance, but the amount has not been, ascertained.. The fire is attributed to a child having pot possession of a box of matches and playing with them in the 1 hayloft. I