The Ormond Fire.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 659, 25 March 1879, Page 2

The Ormond Fire.

Burning of Mb. Bidgood's ' Stables, and subsequently his dwelling. At the 'inquest held yesterday, at Ormond, to inquire into the origin of the burning of Mr. > Bidgood's stables, and subsequently the burning of his dwelling house, the jury.^wero only enabled to return an open verdict— That is to say,, there was ho evidence to show lio# the* 'fire, occurred. ' : The stable^ caught fire, m a. corner-room, where there was no fire, nor any one living m it; ; Thtw^ was no light iii !) Bny other pait of the stable, and- no-occupant. Mr. Bidgood was awayj. rafter the stables had, been burned to the ground, and embsirs extinguished not only ;by those who assisted at the fire but by drenching showers of rain njhioh was tailing before, at the tiifa^, anjjl after. But after the persons "who were at the fire had retired, another alarm "was raised, and this time it was Mr. Bidgood's house' which was m flames. This ateo was burned to the ground. There was a discrepancy m the evidence taken at the inquest will have to be accounted ; fofc Mrs. Bidgood deposed that her husband visited the sit© of the stabks which had been destroyed. Mr. Bidgood deppsed that he did not visit them. The discrepancy is as strange as the cause of the fire is mysterious. Whether anything later will come out to throw any light on the disaster remains to be seen. The Insurance offices will probably hold an independent enquiry on their own account. . • When the stables were burned down^ and allowing that there "were live embers reinaining, the wind was blowing from the house m the direction, of the stables, and. not from the stables m the direction? of the dwelling. This is one more 'singular feature m connection with the Orraond fire, which it would be well if it could be satisfactorily accounted for and cleared up. .■•■.!.;.. „;,