DWELLING HOUSE DESTROYED.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12499, 27 March 1909, Page 2

DWELLING HOUSE DESTROYED.

About 2.30 this morning nightwatchman Brooker noticed a glare in the direction of College Hill, and promptly sounded an alarm, Constable Drummond almost simultaneously ringing the bell at the "Central Fire Station, he having also seen the blaze from Hardy street. The burning building proved to be a house in Brougham street, owned by Mr Samuel Leach, of Stoke, and occupied "by Mr D. T. Schmidt, an official on the sewerage works. The house was a two-storeyed building, and the family were sleeping in the front rooms on the lower .floor. Mr Schmidt states that he was aroused by his wife about 2.30, the house thenbeing, full of smoke. The occupants had barely time to escape in their night attire, as in a few minutes the whole house was enveloped in flames. Only one or two: articles of furniture were saved. ~ The -insurance on the building was not ascertainable. Mr" Schmidt's furniture was covered by a policy for £115 in the Yorkshire office. The origin of the fire cannot hi acounted for. The Fire Brigade arrived on the scene about twenty minutes after the . alarm was sounded, and considerable delay ensued before a fire • plug . could b i found, water eventually being obtained from the main in Van Dieman street.. The hose was not playing on the fire until 3.15 a.m., though, of course, had water been put on immediately there would' have been no chance of saving any part, of the house, which was a very_old one. ■