FIRE IN FREEMAN STREET.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 519, 19 June 1869, Page 2

FIRE IN FREEMAN STREET.

The necessity for the formation of a Eire Brigade was sufficiently brought under the attention of the public by Mr Tyler and the other speakers at the meeting held in the Masonic Hall on Tuesday evening, but in a few hours afterwards it was still more strongly illustrated. At a quarter to four o'clock on Thursday morning a fire was discovered to have broken out in the bade premises of fie Albion Hotel, situated at the corner of Gladstone and Freeman streets. The discovery was made by Mr Fagg, the night watchman, and he gave the alarm so lustily that a number of people living in the two streets, or in the neighborhood, were speedily aroused. He at the same time exerted himself to extinguish the flames, assisted by Mr Milne, the proprietor of the hotel, and by Mr Anderson, of the firm of Dutton and Co., who were, after Mr Fagg's alarm, the first on the spot. Fortunately there was an abundant supply of water on the premises, and implements by which to use it; and after some spirited exertion the fire was prevented from spreading to adjoining premises, and was ultimately extinguished. The building in which it occurred —a light wooden fabric used as the kitchen of the hotel —was, however, greatly destroyed, and the fire did communicate with the main building of the hotel itself, but was prevented from doing further injury than charring a i'ew of the boards. There cannot bo a doubt that, situated as the Albion Hotel is, a serious calamity would have overtaken the town had the discovery not been made at the moment it was, and had not the people who assembled exerted themselves in the most active manner. The whole block, including the Empire and National hotels, aud the Union Bank, must inevitably have been destroyed, and the pi-o-babilities are that the fire would also have overtaken the large block of buildings extendingfrom Mr Southern's drapery etablishment to that of Messrs Fleming and Murray.

On Thursday afternoon an inquest as to the cause of the fire was held by the Coroner, Dv Giles, aud a jury. There did not seem to be any very great necessity for such an inquest, the circumstances pointing to a purely accidental cause, though the accident was not altogether explainable; butsome rambling statement about a man being seen in the neighbourhood, and some other not very marvellous assertions, induced Mr Milne to solicit that an inquest should be held. It is not worth reporting in full. Mr Fagg stated that he first discovered the fire by seeing the tlames reflected in the windows of the Victoria Hotel, Gladstone street. The fire was then showing itself at a corner of the building where some culinary vessels were kept, not far from the stove. At half-past twelve Mr Milne and ho had been together near the premises, seeing some kitchen offal removed, and there was then no appearance of fire. It was also the evidence of Mr Milne that the fire in the stove had been extinguished, and that the stove was quite cool when he went to bed. As he was without a cook at the time he had reason to make a more careful examination than he would otherwise have done, and everything appeared safe when he retired. There had been two holes previously burnt in the wall of the same premises, from the heat of the stovepipe, but before he became tenant of the house. Andrew Corrigan aud Francis Cookwere called as witnesses, but they were not in a state to give evidence, and the inquest was adjourned till yesterday, the men being taken into custody. Yesterday they were re-examined, but had nothing to say relative to the fire. Corrigan had seen " a man in the street " several times during the night, and Cook had heard from a man of the uncommon name of Smith that there had been a fire. The jury's opinion was that the fire was accidental, but that the occupier was blameable for not having his stovepipe properly protected. The Coroner referred to the service rendered by Mr Fagg, and the jury desired it to be added to their verdict that great praise was due to him. Mr Milne desires, through our columns, to thank those who so actively assisted him in extinguishing the fire.