THE GEORGE STREET FIRE.

Evening Star, Issue 3858, 6 July 1875, Page 3

THE GEORGE STREET FIRE.

To ihe Editor, SIH, Vour morniiig contemporary, the Daily Times,’ with_ the love for inaccurate statements for which it is so renowned gives such a garbled and false statement of the facts connected with the fire in my cottage, that I cannot in justice to myself allow it to pass unnoticed. The true state of the case is this:—“ On the morning of the fire I went to work as usual at half-past eight o’clock. A t half-past eleven, a policeman- Constable Gilbert—came to the shop and told me my house had been on fire. My employer at once told me to put on my coat, and go dewn and sse about the matter. This I did—going down with the constable. The fire was extinguished before the constable left, and I learned from Mr Lewis, of Messrs Gouvley and Lewis, that he had discovered it. At first he thought that it was the chimney on fire, and got upon the roof and poured some water down, but as he heard some crackling in the house, he got down and burst open the door. The house was full of smoke, and he had to get his fireman’s muffler before he could enter. Having once got in he soon extinguished the fire. H» d he not been a fireman, however, he could not have done so, as it would have been impossible to have got into the house without his muffler. It seems that some clothes, &c., hanging on a framework and a chair before the fire had caught on fire, and as the framework extended to the wall, the flames had run along it and up to the roof. This framework I made in-order to keep my child from the fire, and it had been placed too near the fireplace. Injeference to the chair lying fiat down in the fireplace, I can only'surmise that, in the excitement and the stupifying effects of the smoke, Mr Lewis must have, knocked it over without noticing it. When my wife went out everything appeared right, and she left the cloth laid for my dinner and everything in statements about the police, I have only to say this : I gave the constable every information in ray power, and oven volunteered information without his asking it. It was only when it became known that I was insured, that, first of all one sergeant came, and then another, and then the sergeant and sub-inspector. This annoyed me, and between that and the excitmeut I answered them rather curtly, and ordered them out of the place. Xam sorry for doing this now, as there was no occasion to do it. In r^ fl I ence n °t being much furniture in the house, I have to say that all the linen, &c., was included in the insurance policy, and any married man will easily believe that there was full value to the amount of the policy (L 100). Ihe straw alluded to was hay, winch I use in my trade, and I have always some in the hems-, so that there was nothing unusual about that Hoping you will excuse the length of this explanation, I am, &c., MatVhkw Costello.