CITY FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1612, 2 December 1912, Page 5

CITY FIRES.

. o . BIG BLAZE ON TERRACE. Residents of the city were attracted by a big blaze on Wellington Terrace about 9 o'clock on Saturday night, when one of tho oldest dwellings in the neighbourhood / was practically destroyed. The Central Brigade received the call at 832 p.m., and within a few minutes the superintendent had his men at work endeavouring to suppress the lire, which enveloped No. 250, a private boardinghouse, containing 17 Tooms and occupied by Mrs. Florence M'Arthur, and owned by Mr. Walter King, hotelkeeper, of Auckland (formerly of Wellington). •" ' At the of the fire only three of the inmates were at home. One of them had occasion to go with a lighted candlo to .a cupboard under the stairs and the candle may have come into contact with some inflammable article, as the fire troke out a little later. By the time that the brigade reached the scene the building appeared to be doomed, but the water pressure ■ proved all tint could be expeoted at such a level (near Mount Street), and by excellent work tho brigade succeeded in saving the buildings on either side, though these were almost adjoining. Tho fire was in fact kept within the walls of the building itself, though the contents were completely destroyed. Tho dwelling was erected about thirty years ago by Mr. Bethmie, and was on the same sito as a buildin? erected in the "forties." The building and outbuildings are covered by a policy for ,£IOSO in the Sun office. The contents are insured for .£350 in the Guardian office. ANOTHER OUTBREAK. On Saturday morning another outbreak occurred at a seven-roomed house in Drummond Street, owned and occupied by Mr. W. lllingworth. The brigade received the call at 11.31, but before the outbreak was subdued the Idtchcn and dining-room had boeu badly damaged, and the contents of tho house suffered considerably from heat, smoke, and water. A defective chimney is said to have caused tho fire. The building was insured in the Commercial Union office for .MOO, and the contents in tho Norwich Union; the amount was not ascevtainablo owing to the holiday.