FIRES

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 26

FIRES

AUCKLAND, August 14. A fii-e oeeUTi--e<l this morning in premises occupied by Mr Green (silk importer) and Messrs Maxwell and Montague in the Hall of Commerce Buildings. Damuge to the extent of £1500 was done. The contents were insured in the Royal Company for £2000 and the buildings "for £9000 in the New Zealand office.

NELSON, August 10. This forenoon a six-roomed house in Waimpa road, owned and occupied by Mr W. Kirby, a farrier, was completely destroyed by fire, the water pressure being quite inadequate. The cause was a kapoE mattress placed before the fire to dry catching; alight. An old bedridden woman, Mrs Baity, and JMra Kirby. who were rescuc-d by a neighbour when the room was full of smoke and flame, had a narrow escape. The insurance was: £250 on th^ house in th-e Imperial office, and £100 on the furniture and £35 on the piano in the Norwich Union Thr> losses over the inBurancc are considerable.

(FaoH Our Own Correspondent.)^

OAMARU, August 14. A fire occurred in Mrs Couper's fruit' and confectionery shop in Tees street oa. Thursday night, which proved' a particularly obdurate one, the brigade being summoned on three occasions to attend to outbreaks. The first outbreak, at 10 p.m., gutted the shop, and the ?econd at 2.30 a.m. practically destroyed the whold building, only the stone walls being leffi intact. A third small fire a few houna later demanded further attention from the brigade. The insurances are: Building (owned by Air W. Milne), £320 in th«> Alliance office ; Mrs Couper's confectionery stock (entirely destroyed), £125 in the Qreen&l.md office ; W. A. Verey's carpenter's too^s and timber (considerably) damaged), £25 in the New Zealand office..

At St. Louh an expenditure of 5,000,000 dollars will probably be made coon in! beautifying the city. Part of the plan contemplated i« tho purchase of expensive property opposite the principal railway depob for the purpose of creating a good impression upon vUitore as they step from tha trains.