FIRE AT HAMPSTEAD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1716, 22 November 1887, Page 2

FIRE AT HAMPSTEAD

A NAKROVV ESCAPE.

A fire occurred at Harap«teacl early thi» morning, by which a lean-to, containing two rooms, and owned and oooupled by Mr Peter Stewart, was destroyed, the occupant very narrowly escaping with his life. The hou-e was situated near the Hampstead Sohool. Mr Stewart went to bed about his usual hoar last night, and shortly after midnight he was awakened by the crackling of fire, and found the hoase m fltmep; Jamplng oat of bed he endeavored to make his way oat by the. door, but war beaten baok by the flames. He than tamed hl« atteatton to tho window, the only available means of exit, and as there waß no time to be wasted ha looking for the oa'oh he dished his fis>. ihroagh the gUfl« t severely cattiau hid hand and arm, however. He managed to make bis esoape by the window, but m addition to the oats he had received from the broken glnss, his face and arms were much scorched and bnrnt. The tenement by thh tima was a mica of S. mes, and ac it was hopeless to pndeavor to bbvp aoything, and as Mt Stewart was suff ring maoh from the icjarieß he had unstained, he made his way, m his nightolothea, to De L »ahy'a to yet bin harts attended to, Constable O'Sallivan and two or three neighbors shortly afterwards arrived on the scene, and as no trace of Mr Htewart coald be fonnd the very gravest apprehensions as to his safety were felt, and the Constable had made arrangements to have the ruins of the building examined, as coon as the work could be undertaken. Happily, however, ail doubts were set at rest, by Mr Stevrart putting m an appearance at the Polios Station, act soon as the doctor had dressed his injuries. The fire bell was not rung, and consequently the Brigade did rot turn out. It appears that a lad went to rine the fire bell, but ho fell into the error of going to the Fire Brigade station m Burnett street, instead of to the bell tower at the Wakanui road. There is a tower at the former place, but no bell, and consequently no alarm was given Mr Stewart loßt all his effects, inoluding a new saddle, watch, clothes, etc. , by the fire, he jnst managing to escape m his night clothes Had he been a few seconds later he must have inevitably perished. The building was insured for £50 m the Noith British office, but this amount will not anything like cover the loss. How the fire originated is » mystery.