FIRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 30

FIRES.

WANGANUI, March 27. A disastrous fire broke out in Gilberd's iap works at Castleeliff on Saturday night. On the discovery of the outbreak a. message was sent to the Wamganui Fire Brigade, which sent its steam fire «ngine, but by the time the engine arrived the works had practically disappeared. Messrs Scot' and Son's fellmongery, a two storeyed wooden, building alongside the 6oap works, had a marvellous escape, its safety being due to the efforts of a bucket brigade. The origin oi the fire |s a mystery. The insurances on the soap ■works axe: £IOOO in the South British office, £SOO in the Ooeam office, and £SOO In the Queensland office. Messrs Scott amd iSons had a floating policy on their etock in the New Zealand and British Pominions Insurance Companies. CHRISTCHURCH, March 28.

A serious fire occurred after midnight in a row of shops in Manchester street. The top floor throughout the building was occupied by Bunting and Co., brushmakers, and five shops on the lower floor l>y Dollan (bootmaker, .Holland (hairdresser), M'Phail and Fisher (leather merchants), and two tea rooms. Bunting also had a building at the back of the shops. When the alarm was given this Ibuilding and portion of the front buildfag were ablaze. The Fire Brigade consefluently had the utmost difficulty with wxe outbreak, and the flames spread ■rapidly to both floors. The new highpressure water supply gave plentiful provision, but the contents of the shops and •factory were highly inflammable, and it was after 2 a.-m. when the fire was in hand.

The Trocadero Private Hotel was at one time threatened, and the premises ©f Scott and Morgan (motor works) were also in danger. Bunting owned the building and factory, valued a! £ASOu. The stock was valued at £7OOO.

Mr Bunting says that no one had been In his factory since Thursday, and he is unable to account for the fire. An outbreak occurred in the same block at Easter time, 1907. The insurances as far as at present ascertainable are as follow :—Bunting and Co.'s buildings, £2700 in the South

British office; on the contents, £2700 in the New Zealand office, £I6OO in the Commercial Union, £6OO in the National, £425 in the Australian Alliance, £425 in the United, and £375 in the Standard. M'Phail and Fisher (occupiers of one of the shops in Bunting's buildings) had a policy of £270 in the National office. WANGANUI, March 28.

Messrs Gilbert and Sons, whose soap works- were destroyed by fire on Saturday night, estimate their loss at between £2500 and £3OOO above the insurance. ASHBURTON, March 28. j A seven-roomed wooden house at Doric, j owned and occupied by William Morrow, was, with_its contents, totally destroyed by fire- early on Sunday morning. The insurances are not yet ascertainable.

i About 8 o'clock on Tuesday, March 22, I a serious fire was discovered in George's ■ Victoria Hotel, Naseby. The hotel, -which i is one of the principal places of the kind in Naseby, is owned by Mrs E. L. Black and occupied by Mr W. B. Allan, formerly of Port Chalmers. When discovered the fire had a very firm hold (says our correspondent), and seemed to be in all parts of the building at once. The Volunter Fire Brigade, under Captain Marslin, were very quickly on the scene, and got to work at once with several leads of water, utilising altogether about 1500 ft of hose. Through their promptness the fire was speedily checked, and the adjoining buildings escaped injury. The interior of the building, with all the furniture, is very badly damaged, the kitchen, billiardroom, and one bedroom alone escaping. The fire would seem to have originated in a bedroom on the west side, and spread along under" the roof, attacking the hotel in several places at once. At first it was thought that all the occupants were not out of the building, but fortunately this proved to be incorrect. The insurances are in tlio Victoria office, and are believed to be as. follows:—Building, £650; furniture and stock, £435. A wooden house, containing five rooms, situate at Green Island Bush, was destroyed by fire on Saturday afternoon. The building, which was the property of Mr David Adam, was occupied by John Joseph Golightly, who lost all liis furnii ture. Nothing is known of the origin

of the outbreak. Mr Golightly and his wife were in Dunedin at the time of the fire attending am inquest on their child. ; There was no insurance on house or I furniture.

An outbreak of fire took place in the Jockey Club Hotel at Omakau on Friday morning about half-past 2. The licensee was absent in Dunedin at the time. The cause of the lire is unknown, but inquiries are being made. At a quarter past 4 on Sunday afternoon the City Fire Brigade was called by an alarm from the Terminus Hotel indicator to a fire in Messrs Dalgety and Co.'s wool and grain stores in Cumberland street. An outbreak was found to have occurred in a number of wooden cases in which old invoices had been stored, but its origin is thus far a mystery. The fire was quickly extinguished by means of the chemical apparatus, and, although the flames were almost" reaching the ceiling, very little damage was done.