FIRES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12907, 22 February 1906, Page 6

FIRES.

The fire bell rang out shortly after 5 o'clock yesterday, and quickly gathered a great c:uwd of the curious. ' The cause of tl;e ahum was an outbreak . f fire in some ou.buildings at Mr W. Priest's residence;, and tilaiigh the brigade remarkably smart in reaching the scene, -the fire had a very strong hold when they arrived. Some of the out-side woodwork of the house had also caught alight, but this was soon put- out. and danger of the dwelling averted. The buildings were old and dry, and burnt fiercely; the earlier stages of the fire were accelerated by the lighting of kerosene stored there, and a lot of smoke arose. No details were available yesterday as to the amount- of damage done. One point the occurrence brought out very strongly—that the public, especially the small boy and girl" section, seem. -to regard a- fire as an open sesame to private property. The grounds of Ike house were invaded by hundreds of people, mostly children, and they raced rijund. trampling over flower beds and through shrubberies apparently preferring them to footpaths. The poiice had some difficulty in clearing them out- Some persons were heard to make a rern&rkabie statement—that they were watching' the fire for tea minutes before the alanrs was given. Allowing for some exaggkiassaathis indicates a very strange attitude cf mind. ' ? . 1 : ) Per Press Association. j AUCKLAND, February 21. j A fire occurred in the pattlrn si:op .re Seager Bros.' foundry. The damage is estimated at £SOO, and is not covered by insurance. The workmen were absent, and : the eacse cf the fire is unknown. HOSJTIKA, February 21. A new braiding, almost completed on tlie 'outs&irt-s -of the town, was destroyed iiy •fire at 1 o'clock titis morning. . There was a builder's risk of £l6O fn the Manchester office.. jSo wnte-r was avaHable, and the; place was iotaEy j. destroyed. The cause of the fire is. uri&nown. The place was jfeft secure.' at 6 o'eloeE.lasfc.night. The frequency of nuiikeafe of" fire in occupied places- -of late in tie middle of the night is causing somar alarm. It fe believed that ;the- fires- liave- Been caused fly incendiarism, ithe'/gxevibtis fires- being m: inferior dwel-' ilingy or detached sEs®ds. Mr John Sull?-: •van,. the owner inj this asstanee is at a lloss to account for tlie fire. The estimatad lvalue- of. the building: destroyed" is about ;£250„