Fire at Inglewood.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 96, 17 October 1894, Page 3

Fire at Inglewood.

At about 2 o'clock on Sunday morning last a destructive fire broke out m Inglewood at the rear of Messrs Vickers and Stevens' auction mart, and the block of buildings was speedily razed to the ground. According to the Taranaki News, the fire .demolished Messrs Vickers and Stevens' buildings in which were located their auction mart, the Bank of New South Wales, the office of Messrs Davis and Stadden, surveyors, and R. G. Hughes, solicitor. Its progress northward was checked by the efforts of the willing bands who applied wet blanks on the building occupied by the Bank of New Zealand. There was a gap of about 20 feet between the Bank and Viokers and Stevens' auction mart, aud that fact made it possible to arrest the progress of the fire northwards. But the fire spread southwards, and the premises occupied by Messrs Massicks (watchmaker), H. Rankin |(bookseller), and Callaghan (baker), were burst. Fortunately there was a gap of 40 feet between Callaghan's shop and the sample rooms of the Inglewood Hotel, and this enabled the application of wet blankets to prevent the fire spreading further. The Tnglewood Hotel was in great danger I for a considerable time, but the efforts of tho rescuers were rewarded, aud the building was saved from destruction. Tho general opinion in Inglewood is that the fire was the result of incendiarism, and Messrs Vickers and Stevens offer a reward of £100 for the conviction of the offender. Following are the insurances : —Messrs Rankin, £150 (National) ; Quigley, £200 (Royal); Callaghan, £100 (North German) ; Massick, £100 (South British) ; Vickers and Stevens—building, £500 ; stock, £300 (Royal) ; Franklyu's, £540 (Victoria) and £200 (Royal).