ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Evening Star, Issue 3883, 4 August 1875, Page 3

ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

It is not often our painful duty to have to record two serious confl ignitions in our midst on two successive nights ; but such wo have to do on this occasion. I.ast evening we chronicled the burning of the Princess Theatre, and now we have to mention an equally clestiuctive fi.e,

by which the tannery of Messrs Charles t’oombes and .Son was totally destroyed. Tne tire was first discovered by Mr Humphreys sub-editor of the ‘ Daily Times,’ who on his way home from work shortly before tlno o’.lock tins morning, n ticecl smoke issuing fiom -St. Andrew street. He immediately ac-

quainted tin’ constable on duty (Fivtwell) of the circumstan e ; and both paries p cceaded in the direction of the light, and ound the tannery on fire. I laving aroused Mr Cminbes, jun., and a number of neighbors, they succeeded in s i ving thejf undture .a Mr Coomb ■ o >ttagn a.'(joining. The fire lud apparently uruin-ite.i in the west end of the building, where a quantity of hides and greasy material was stored ; while in the imin building there-'was a large quantity of oil and tallow. The men knocked off work at five o’clock, and the last person in tho building was Mr Coombes, jun., who found occasion to visit tbe works at 8 p.ra , and then all appeared debt. The tannery was completely gutted within twenty minutes of the alarm being given; and Mr Coombes estimat'shis 10.-s to tbe stock, building, and plant at LIO.OOO. The only insurance policies held by him were one for LI,OOO in the National Company, and one for 1.500 in the Norwich. The tannery was a two-storey building, consisting of wood and iron. The furniture in Mr Coombes’s cottage, which was insured in the National for

I AGO, was saved, but was slightly damaged by removal. In the two fires we have alluded to the Fire Brigade worked in a manner entitling them to the highest credit, and seeing that the Brigade have determined to di-band no small amount of pressure should be brought to bear by the Corpmation to induce them to re-consider their resolution. Had there been no well-organi-sd brigade in these two instances most extensive fires must have occurred.