FIRE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1487, 21 November 1878, Page 2

FIRE.

About five minutes to seven o'clock this morning the firebells rang out an alarm. It was found that the steam sawmill at the corner of Colombo street and the south town belt, owned by W. Montgomery & Co. (Limited), was on fire. The brigade, under Mr (Superintendent Harris, and the Fire Police, under the charge of Captain Mitchell, with a body of constables, under Mr Inspector Hickson, were quickly on the spot. The hand engine was the first on the ground, and was placed at the drain in Colombo street, and Boon began to play upon the flames. The Lichfield street engine, Deluge, was stationed at the tank at the railway station, and the other engine, the Extinguisher, at Vincent's brewery which was supplied with water from their large tank- Their united discharge of water confined the fire to the mill where it originally broke out, a cottage on the ground being also destroyed. Several large stacks of timber in the yard were partly destroyed, the ends nearest the fire being badly charred and some of the timber rendered completely useless. Four new drays (for sale) were also burnt. Thomas Noonan, living on the premises and employed in the capacity of fire-lighter ai d mill hand, gives the following account as to the origin of ths fire : —He says that he lighted the fire of the portable engine at 6 30, and then left it for the purpose of getting his breakfast. At twenty minutes to seven, while in his cottage in the yard, he noticed volumes of smoke issuing from the mill. He and another man at once ran in, and they found that some fire from the engine had been blown out from beneath the furnace, and ignited some shavings under the planing machine. They attempted to extinguish the flames, but unsuccessfully, as there was not sufficient water for the purpose. The fire rapidly spread to the chips and shavings with which the mill was strewn. From the combustible nature of the stock the firo at once assumed such dimensions as to be quite beyond their control. The high wind blowing at the time curried the flames to the upper storey, and in less than ten minutes the whole structure was down. The amount of damage done is estimated at about £2OOO, £IOOO being covered by insurance in the Standard office. It may be stated that application was made by Mr Inspector Harris for the use of the railway fire engine, which possesses three times the power of those owned by the brigade, but Mr Dickenson, the foreman of the engineers, said he could not act in the matter without the permission of Mr Alison Smith, the head of the locomotive department, who was not on the premises, and could not be found. It was suggested by a bystander that a telegram should be at once despatched to the Government at Wellington for the necessary permission, but Mr Superintendent Harris observed that it would be probably as efficacious if they were to forward a letter, lor it would be attended to quite as promptly.