FIRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4614, 10 April 1893, Page 3

FIRES.

Fire at Waltham, This morning, about three o'clock, the whistle at the Bail way station gave an alarm, and the glare showed that there was a fire of considerable extent. It proved to be in Buffon street, where, two houses were completely destroyed. /The fire originated in the house owned and occupied by Mr Charles Henry Carter^ an. engine-driver. He and his family had retired to bed, leaving only a very small fire in the grate. He was awakened by the cries of an infant child,, and found the flames in all parts of the house. He had only just time to get the family out of the burning building. The adjoining house, occupied by Mr Q'Malley, and! o#ned-by Mr George King, soon caught fire, and ."the furniture was hastily amoved. ; Both houses were quickly, reduced to ashes, only the chimneys remaining Branding. .-- Mr King's houße waß insured for ,£l§o in the Economic office, but Mr O'Malley,. had no insurance on hit* furniture and was a heavy loser. Mr Carter was insured, in the New Zealand office— the houeeior £I£s and tbe furniture for £125. .He. estimates hia loaa. at fully JEISO above k the insurance, as the fire destroyed a, number of .drawings, &c.» in connection with au invention. .which ha was about to patent. Three stacks of last year's oate,.<xn the Winchmore estate, were bowed on Wednesday night. Incendiarism, is be* heved to be the cauae^ Oa Tuesday afternpon about. «ix,o*clock a fire was discovered in a .group of five Btacks of grain on the Lowcliffeestate, and three of tbe stacks, were, bu^jaed. The origin of the fire ia involved in mystery., Ploughmen were at work on.iOne.Bide, and some of the Longbeach mqxi on .ttte other, all of whom had fall view of the stacks, and are positive. that nobody went near them. Two , stacks^ of wheat on...th&, Pareora estate, containing .about. l?OOit bushels, , were destroyed .by fire eajrjy on Friday morning. Sergeant-M^jor ,M'£r»Q,ald and Detective. Livingetpne went down from Timaru during the day to investigate, and from various circumstances Ihgy concluded that the cause of .the, fire waß Bpoataneoua combustiop, not incendiarism aa waß suspected.,

[Pißa. Pbess Association.] -•-■ ; AT^CrKLAND, Apeil 10. -; A A four-roomed cottage at Onehuhga, erected by Louis Carl Marton was partially destroyed by fire lasfe night. It was insured for £70 in. the Standard Office and the furniture for £100 in the Commercial Union.