PETER BELL'S AND G. CALMAN'S SHOPS GUTTED.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6085, 30 November 1886, Page 2

PETER BELL'S AND G. CALMAN'S SHOPS GUTTED.

Those who had bf ea at the fire across the rifer had hardly time to get home before the fire bells were again heard clanging, the bridge boll, rung by Captain Drew, being the first to give the alarm. This time the reflection showed up iv the main business block in town and on arrival on the ground, there were many sympathetic lemarks made when it was found that the popular drapery warehouse of Mr Peter Bsll was in flames. We hear that seveial parsons had smelt fire on their return from the previous fire, and some, including Captain Cummins of the Fire Brigade, had seen a reflection in Mr Caiman's, but there was no sign at that time of anything burning, The Brigade, however, had haidly got to the station, bsfore the alarm was given, and they at oneo turned out again; Those who were first on the ground, a few minutes before eleve 1, are of opinion that tho fi-e originated in Mr Caiman's premises, npaturs. From the baok Mr lJustin's men bjw tho reflection through the windows, and their opinion was that it commenced in the passage between the two building?. Certain it is that when Captain Cummins and his men arrived on the ground their attentions we.'c wholly directed to Caiman's, and so fir successfully that it was thought the ftani'js had been confined to that building, till a few minutes lat3r they broke out In Mr Bell's, having, apparently, run up tlio liniuK and caught a hold iv Mr Bell's tailoring department, The Fire Brigade and Firo Police were speedily on the ground, and while tho former attended to tho more serious work of stamping out the fire, the latter directed their attentions to tho .stock A crowd of willing hands were kept busily employed at the work of removal, and, despite the smoke, falling firo, tn\ water, almost everything in the Bhop was got out and taken accrom the street to March's verandah. When the fUmes in front had been pretty well beaten, a line of hoso was hid in through the baok portion of tho shop and token upstairs, where the remaining portion of the woik was dono, and by 11.30 tho fiie was under. The stock from Mr Bell's wes thon removed from under the vewndali into Mr F. R. Jackfcon's yard, though, of course, it was considerably damaged by the rough usaao it got, Here, as in the shop, a number of volucteon gave all tho assistance they could to the Fno Police in removing the goods, and by a little after 12 o'clock all that could be dono for both Mr Oilman and Mr Bell was compltt d. A survey of the buildbgs indicates that t'lo fire commenced in Mr Calmau'a near the passage between tho two, which divides Mr BfU'd tailoring establishment from Mr Oilman's boot factory, on the prouud floor. Me Caiman, wit^i his assistants, Mr Neill and Mr Beauchamp, Ind b°en at work stocktaking tillabout ten minutespißt 10 o'clock, when they left the building. Mr Beauchamp was tho firat to leave, and 011 his arrival at home ho remarked that he had smelt fife on his way home, and would not go to bed, as ho expected the fire bell t: ung. Messrs Caiman and Neill left the place a few minutes after he did, and had got homo beforo the bell rang. Iv Mr Bell's, so far as wo can learn, no one wts at work alter 6 o'clock, nor were there any of Mr Oilman's boot hands emplijed after that hour. Mr W. F. Russell, of [ tho Bank of New Zealand, had a scare once or twiqo when the ibmes soemod worse than usual, but tlje excellent pro visions made in the bank for arre&ting fires stood him in good stead, and although ho oufiera considerably from damage by water rather toD plentifully applied, he, in other respect3,esoapeß soot free B»d thoro been a windfttho time,the adjacontbuildingsmust inovitably have ciught, bnt fortunately the night was calm, and the flames were confined to the premises in which they originated. The Fire Bricade and Firo Police woikod well, the latter securing plenty of room for tho Biigado, and both dcsorvi tho thanks of the publio for their zealous efforts in saving propetty The insurances on J-olh phces wero small, Mr Caiman having only £650 in the Northern on his boot stock, aud £400 in the Norwich Union on his general stock, while Mr Bsll (whose stook was valued at close on £7,C00) had only £4000 insured, Tho various amounts aro -Building: £500 Now Zoalenl, £500 South British, and £2000 Colonial. Stock : £1000 UmoD, £800 Colonial, £300 New Z 'aland, and £500 South British, A careful examination of the two buildings Bhowa that the fire originated in Caiman's shop, in tho corner in which the matches weio kopf. Tho building thero is much charred, and the firo seema to have mado its way up the lining into Mr Bell's,

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