9

H.—2

MINUTES OE EVIDENCE.

INVERCARGILL. Monday, 29th January, 1900. George Williams, sworn. 1. Mr. Poynton.] What are you, Mr. Williams?—l am a labourer. 2. You claim from the New Zealand Railway Department damages arising from the destruction of your house at Woodend on the 2nd September last, as you allege, by sparks from a locomotive ?—Yes. 3. What time did it occur ?—I am not quite certain; I think it was about 1 o'clock in the morning. 4. Was the house totally destroyed ?—Yes, totally destroyed. 5. What was the value of the house ? —I reckon £120, or more. 6. How many rooms were there in it ?—Six rooms. 7. How much did it cost you ?—Well, the house had five rooms when I went into it. I added a back-kitchen to it. The house, altogether, would cost me about £30 or £40. 8. The original cost was—how much?—l gave the owner £11 to let me into it. 9. How long was that before the fire ?—That I went into it first? 10. Yes ?—I think I went into the house in 1887—1886 or 1887. 11. The total cost to you would be £30 or £35?— Yes, without my own labour. I did the labour myself—everything. 12. Did you put up the rooms yourself?— Yes, and added a chimney costing £3 10s. 13. How much do you reckon as the full value of your labour?— About £12 10s., and then, besides, I put up scrim and paper, and put new boards through part of the building. 14. Do you reckon the total at £35 ?—I am not including my labour on the chimney, or scrimming, and that amount for my labour. 15. I want to know your total loss, considering the length of time that has passed since you made these repairs ?—I reckon the loss of the whole building at £120. 16. Had you it insured ?—Yes, the building for £25, and the furniture for £25. 17. Did the insurance cover the loss of the furniture?— No. 18. How much do you reckon you lost on the furniture ?—I reckon about £10. 19. You need not describe the position of the house, because we intend to go and view it; but I want you to state all you know about the fire ?—I put the children to bed about half-past 9. After I got them in bed I saw that the fire and everything was right, and went to bed myself, and the first thing I knew was I was awakened up by the noise of fire ; and jumping out of bed I saw that the whole part of the building facing the railway was in flames. I opened the door and got the children out. I had not time to get anything out. 20. And you think that was about 1 o'clock ?—I think that was somewhere about 1 o'clock. 21. You had been asleep? —Oh, yes. 22. Was it a windy night ? —Yes, blowing a pretty fair wind. 23. Had it been dry weather before ?—Yes. 24. What kind of a roof was on the house ?—About three parts of it was iron and the rest weatherboards. 25. What was the nature of the roof at the end where the fire took place ?—One side was weatherboards and the other iron. 26. Have you anything else to add? —When I went to bed I left a few embers, but there was no light about. Ido not know of any cause but the engine doing it. There was nothing else to cause the fire that I saw. 27. Mr. McCredie.] When you bought the house it was an old house, was it not?— Pretty aged, I believe. 28. Had it been an old sawmill property ?—I do not know lam sure. 29. The addition that you built to it, was that a new addition altogether ? You did not use up any old house ? —No, I bought the timber in Woodend yard and built it. I bought bricks and got a brickmaker to build the chimney. 30. Do you wish to make out that your total loss was £170—£120 above the insurance ? —I was reckoning that the £50 would be deducted. 31. There is a balance of £70. You have got £50, and you do not say you have lost £50 as well?—No; I reckon my loss at £100 over the insurance—that is, including furniture and all. 32. From whom did you lease or get the house?—lt was standing on the road. I paid the rates to the County Council. 33. What did you value your furniture at? —I valued it at about £35. 34. sfou are not quite clear about the direction in which the wind was blowing that night ?— No, I did not take that much notice. 35. You did not notice when you went to bed whether it was blowing across or along the line ?—No, I would not swear. William Holland, sworn. 36. Mr. Poynton.] What are you, Mr. Holland ?—A sawmill labourer. 37. Well, now, what do you know about this matter ?—On one occasion I helped to put a fire out on the roof of the house that was burnt. 38. How,long ago was that ?—About eleven years ago. 39. What time of the day was it ? —ln the evening.

2—H. 2.