FIRE IN SHORTLAND.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1896, 30 January 1875, Page 2

FIRE IN SHORTLAND.

A fire was discovered this morning on the premises known as "Whitson and Sons, in the occupation of Mr William Murdock and used as a "bottling warehouse. Mr Murdock states that he was ia the place at halt-past nine o'clock last night and lit a candle, having; gone in for some horse feed. He then left the premises apparently, safe? At three o'clock this morning a man, whose name we did not learn, discovered a fire. An entry was effected and then it was seen that a hole had been burned in the floor large enough to admit the body of a man. The fire was at once extinguished. Mr Murdock believes that the fire resulted from his incautiously throwing down a match which he thought was out, but which must have been burning. This fell on to a bag in which it smouldered for hours until it had burnt through and communicated with the floor. The fortunate discovery of the fire before it had had time to get into a blaze saved a large block of buildings, which/ are in that part of the street attached on two sides of.the block. The place in which the fire was discovered was not insured, and has not been much used of late, except by Mr Murdock going in and out.