FIRES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1024, 17 August 1883, Page 2

FIRES.

[bttblegbaph.] • Auckland; ■; To-day, A fire occurred atßelcher’s store,TJpper Q ueen street, at one o’clock ‘this morning. The fire was discovered by Lumsden, an operator in the Telegraph Department, on ,hia way homeward. Ho saw the glare at the store and ran to the spot,-but saw no one about. .He noticed, however; that one half of the -front door*next Upper Queen street corner was wide open. The interior was one mass of flames! Mr Belcher had leased the ; store for 21 years on the Ist June, and the loss falls most heavily on the latter gentleman. Mr Belcher had the buildings insured for L 2.000 in the National, and Robertson and Maxwell had them also insured for L6OO in the same Company. Owing to their bavin.? the lease they had a’so a policy bf L 503 on the stock and LSOO on the plant. There was about L2OO worth of maize in the stores at the time of the fire, besides a quantity of country produce. J They had recently purchased a gas engine at a cost of L3OO, and had also a chaff cutter‘and oat and maize crashing machines, and a sawing plant for cutting firewood. ~. ,A, dray was destroyed and two ' horiea 1 ini the stables, which wbre valued at LSO, were burnt to death, all efforts to release them being fruitless. Donnelly; adjoining, waa insured for L 176 in the South British. The house was badly charred, and the furniture and goods Were greatly knocked about by removal. Mrs Bibles’ house, adjoining, was insured in the New Zealand for L2OO, and has sustained very considerable damage, and ' the furniture is also greatly damaged by removal. Mrs Bibles is an aged widew, and was so greatly affected by the fire that she had to be removed to Mr Belcher’s, Upper Queen street, where she was kindiy attended to. Robertson and Maxwell’s loss is a total one, as nothing has been saved. The building was a very extensive - one of corrugated iron, and the Ibss and'damage the property adjacent is estimated at L 2,000. Robertson says he locked tip the stores himself at seven •’clock last, night, and left everything perfectly secure;'and was totally unable to throw any light upon the origin of the fire. ‘ Taueanga, To-day. Davidson’s Hotel at Orgapi, on the road to" the Hot Lakes, was burnt on Wednesday night. No'hing was savedThe insurances are LSOO in' the Union and L 260 on the furniture in the South British. Mr Bodell’s four cottages ,in Selwyn street were burnt down this morning. The fire originated in one af the buildings occupied by W. H. Orago, reporter.. Building insured in the Standard for L 275, Crago’a furniture and effects were insured in the NeWf< Zealand Office for L9O. In both bases ‘the occupants had just time to escape, as there was a heavy gale blowing from thenbrth- • west at the time.