DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3772, 17 August 1883, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.

Auckland, This day

A fire broke out in Belcher's stores in Upper-Qneen-strect at 1 o'clock this morning. The fire was discovered by Mr Lum.sden, an operator in the Telegraph Department. On his way homcwird lie saw i<, fflavc ivt the store, and ran to the spot. "lie saw no one about, but noticed one-half of the front door next the UpperQueen street cornor wide open. The interior was one mass of ilaine. Mr Belcher had leased the store to Messrs Robertson and Maxwell for 21 years on the Ist June, and the loss falls most heavily upon the latter gentleman. Mv Belcher bad the buildings insured for .£'. 100 in the National office, and Messrs Robertson and Maxwell had them also insured for £GOO in the same company owing- to them having a lease. They had also a policy of i'oOO on the stock and*£.">oo on the plant. There was about £200 worth of maize in the stores at the time of the lire, besides a quantity of country produce. They had recently purchased a •-•as engine at a cost of £.'3OO, and had also a chaffcuttor and oat and maize crushing machines, and sawing plant for firewood. A dr.-iy was destroyed and two horses in the stables, valued fit £00, Averc burnt to death, the efforts to release them being fruitless. Mr Donnelly, adjoining, was insured for £17.) in the South British ofHco. His house Avus badly charred, and the furniture and goods were greatly knocked about by removal. Mrs Bible's residence adjoining was insured in the New Zealand office for £200. It has sustained very considerable damage, and the furniture was also greatly damaged by removal. Mrs Bible is an aged widow", and was so greatly affected by th« fire that she had to bo removed to Mr Belcher's house in Upper Queen street, where she was kindly attended to. Messrs Robertson and Maxwell's loss will be total, nothing being saved, the building and its contents being entirely destroyed. The building was a very extensive one of corrugated iron, and the loss and damage to the property adjacent is estimated at £2000. Mr Robertson says he locked up the stores himself at 7 o'clock last night, and left everything perfectly secure. He was wholly unable to throw any light upon the orgin of the fire. Tauiuxga, This day. Davidson's hotel at Oropi, on the road to the Hot Lakes, Avas burnt on Wednesday night. Nothing was saved. The insurances are £500 in the Union office, and £2nO on the furniture in the South British office. Mr Bodell's four cottages in Selwyn street Avero burned down this morning. The fire originated in one of the buildings occupied by Mr W. H. Crago, reporter. The building Avas insured in the Standard office for £27*3, and Mr Crago's furniture and effects were insured in the Ncav Zealand office for £90.

In both cases the occupants had just time to escape, as there was a heavy gale from the north-west.