Fire in Camden Street.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 234, 8 February 1894, Page 2

Fire in Camden Street.

As the audience was coming out of the Assembly Rooms last evening at the conclusion of the clever performance given by the Payne family, at about 10.5, the firebell commenced to ring out a fierce alarm. Making for the Square, and on glancing round to ascertain the cause, a lurid glare against a dark sky was noticed in a northerly direction. A ' general stampede was at once made for ■ the scene, when it turned out to be a cottage on a section at the corner of j Camden and Beattie streets, the property of Mr Wm. Jones, a young man, who only had it erected about twelve months ago, and which was the result of his own industry. The cottage consisted of three large rooms and a scullery, aud was occupied by Mr W. Hodren, cordial manufacturer, with whom Mrs Jensen, his sister-in-law, lived while a house was being erected ou her own section in Warwick street. Mr Hodren had received notice to quit, as the proprietor was going to occupy it, and former's family had shifted out the previous day, but Mrs Jensen's furniture was still in the building. It is conjectured the conflagration was caused through a lamp which was left burning, though turned low, by Mrs Jensen about 7.30 in the evening while she was away inspecting her new residence with her sister, it being her intention to return and sleep in the house destroyed. It seems to have been a doomed house, as several persons passed within threequarters of an hour of the time it was noticed to be on fire, and there did not appear to be anything wrong. At about 9.15 Mr A. J. Gould was going home along Camden street, and observed a flash of light through the trees around St. John's Church, which was at this time between him and the house, but as it went out suddenly he thought it was only a meteor. On getting nearer he saw a light through the front door, but thinking some one there, went on home and was about to go to bed when his father, Mr J. Gould, who was going to his bake house to make preparations for the following day's bread, saw the flames coming through the wall near the roof of the kitchen, aud at once gave the alarm. This would have been shortly before 10. Mr T. Auyon and Mr A. Gould were the first on the spot, and burst open the front and back doors, but the heat and smoke prevented them saving the furniture, and they were only able to rescue from the destroying element a few utensils and other small things lying about. A crowd soon collected, and the Brigade turned out, but the fire was burning through the roof, and they could not procure water. The building was insured in the National office (of which Ratliff Bros, are the local agents) for X'llo, and the furniture and effects in the Imperial office (Mr G. C. Hill, local agent) for i'HiO.