FIRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 34

FIRES.

AUCKLAND, January 8. Fire broke out last night in a nineroomed boarding-house in Arthur street, Ponsonby, owned and occupied by Mrs Alexander Contis. Four rooms were gutted, and the rcc-t of the house was much damaged. The house and contents were insured for £SOO. GISBORNE, December 30. The fire at Taylor’s furniture factory has been traced to children playing with matches amongst dressed flax in tho store room. January 8. The Ngatapa accommodation house of 10 rooms, occupied by Mr Greaves, was destroyed by fire. The inmates had a narrow* escape. The furniture was insured for £IOOO, but it is believed that tho building was uninsured. WELLINGTON, January 2. News has been received of the total destruction by fire of the famous carved M aori house Takitumu, at Table Lands, Martinborough. From the meagre particulars obtainable it appears that Takitumu was razed to tho ground. It is understood that at the time of this fire (10 a.m. on Sunday) there was only one Native about the place. Tho origin of the fire is a mystery. The police are conducting an investigation. [This famous piece of carving belonged to Tamahau Mahupuka. tie is known to have declined an offer of £6700 for it.] January 8. Fixe at Petone yesterday destroyed Pointon’s cycle shop. Mr Pointon was engaged repairing a motor, when the engine exploded and the place buret into flames. ' Damage was also done to the adjoining shops by smoke and water. Tho place was lined with asbestos, or the whole block, which included this - shop, would have been destroyed. BLENHEIM, January 1. A fire broke out in a business centre of Blenheim at mid-day to-day in Perry’s stationery and toy shop, and Sainsbury’s working jewellery establishment- Sainsbury was working in the forenoon and left for lunch. Shortly after smoke was noticed at the back of hi® premises. The brigade prevented the fire from spreading, but Sainsbury’s workroom was completely gutted, nothing being saved. Perry’s stock w T as mostly damaged by water. Owing to the holiday no insurances were available. CHRISTCHURCH, January 3. A fire occurred in premises near the corner of Colombo and Armagh streets this moning, the building being one of the oldest in Christchurch. The promptness with which the brigade attended invented extensive damage to the building, which is owned by Mr J. C. Maddison, and insured in the London and Lancashire office • for £4OO. the contents of Sharmau's oork butcher’s shop in the Standard office for £l5O, and the contents of Martin's pastrycook’s shop for £75 in the Phoenix.

La fit night a. fire occurred in the ' premises at Sydenham owned and occuI pied by Vegan Baker. Portion otfly was | severely damaged. The building was ini mixed in the Victoria office for £4OO. and | the contents in the same office for £465. TTMARU January 1. | The wholesale store of John Edmond, ; hardware merchant, with contents was ■ wholly destroyed by fire between 5 and 6 i this evening. The store was situated on ; 11 ay as street reclamation, and fortunately j was at the leeward of a row of valuable ; stores and timber mill. The fire burned i fiercely and the firemen had an unpleasant 1 duty in keeping near the building so great ! was the heat from it. The local manager la | absent in Dunedin, and the values and ! insurances were not available. INVERCARGILL, January 1. I A fire occurred at 5 o’clock this morning 1 in a galvanised iron warehouse belonging |to Broad, Small and Co. at the rear lof Dee street. The premises contained a | largo quantity of general hardware, which i was destroyed. The damage is estimated lat between £3OOO and £4OOO. The insurlan cos amount to £2500. in the Royal, National, and Yorkshire offices. January 5. Shortly after midnight fire gutted tho fruit shop of Mrs Weir in Deo street, and damaged the stock of Mr J. Spratt (sailrnaker). The building, which belonged to Mr E. S. Perry, was insured for £3OO in tho Now Zealand office; Mrs Weir’s stock was insured for £2OO in the Australian Alliance, and Mr Spratt’s stock for £l5O I in the Alliance and £IOO in the Norwich Union. Mrs Weir’s loss is about £4OO, and Mr Spratt’s £2OO.

MAN BURNED TO DEATH. WELLINGTON, January 3. A fatal fire occurred in Taranaki afreet at 1.30 this morning, when a house of 10 rooms, owned by Mrs Heard, and occupied by Mr James Scott and wife, was discovered to be on fire. The brigade was unable to prevent th e place, from being gutted. A lodger, named Percy M ‘Lean, struggled out of a window with hie night clothes ablaze, clambered down the side of the house, and collapsed. It was found that he was burned badly about the head and body. He was removed to the hospital. Subsequently the body of John Calvert, a newspaper runner, was found in a room from which he had been unable to escape. The deceased was about 54 years of age. An inquest was held to-day by Mr W. G. Riddell on the body of Calvert. The evidence showed that the deceased, who had a wooden leg, came home intoxicated the previous evening, and was helped up to bed. When the house was discovered to be on Are efforts were made to get him out of hie room, but he became abusive and would not go, and the other occupants

of the house had to save themselves. The firemen were notified that there was a ! man in the house, and they fixed ropes to the windows, but without avail. A verdict was returned that Calvert was burned to death, and that had he been Gober be would have had a better chance of escape; also, that having a wooden leg he had less opportunity of escaping than a man in the full possession of his limbs. No blame was attachable to the proprietor of the boarding house, who had done what he could. It is not known whether the deceased had any relatives in Wellington.