FIRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5499, 26 February 1896, Page 1

FIRES.

[Special to Press Association.] JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 24. A fire destroyed a warehouse anc caused damage to the extent o: £75,000. [Peb Pkess Association.] DUNEDIN. Feb. 25. A ten-roomed house at St Kilda, known as the London Hotel, the license of which was taken* away two years ago, together with the stables, was burned down this evening. The premises were owned by the Bank of New South Wales, and occupied by Malcolm Allan, horse trainer. Nothing is known as to the origin of the firo, which speedily consumed., the building, there being no pipe water supply in the locality. Mr Allan's furniture-was. insured for dB2OO in the New Zealand Office. On Saturday evening*, about half-past nine, one of a group of six unthrcshed stacks of wheat, the property of Mr George Rhodes, Meadowbauk, Ellesmere, was discovered to be on fire. The alarm was given by an employe of Mr Rhodes/ a lad named William Burke, aged sixteen years, who was subsequently suspocted of having set the stack on fire. As thero was a nor'-wester blowing at the time, great difficulty was experienced in preventing . tho flames spreading to the adjoining stacks. The stack burned was valued at _800. On Monday evening Constable P. M'C'onnack, of Leeston, went to Meaddwbank, and arrested Burke, who was charged, at tho Leeston Court yesterday morning, before Mr L. Mathias, . J.P., with causing tho firo. Tho accused, who admitted . having placed a lighted candle ne;u* tlio stack, and also, that he had cut tho telephone wire connected with Mr Rhodes's houso, was remanded .to Christclmrch. :