FIRES.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1546, 1 February 1879, Page 3

FIRES.

Fiee ik West Sxdenham, Shortly alter one o’clock yesterday morning the premises known as the Sydenham Board-ing-house in Harper street, Sydenham, in the occupation of Fitzgerald, were, with two cottages adjoining, totally destroyed by fire. The origin of the fire is unknown, but when first discovered by a young man named Arthur Johnston, who was returning to his home near the Dublin Bakery, flames were issuing from the south-east corner of the top storey of the building. Besides Mrs Fitzgerald, who when the fire was discovered was in bed, there were only two other persons in the house, a boarder named Frederick Thorpe and Marj McDonald, the servant girl, Mrs Fitzgerald states that everything was safe when she locked the house up before retiring to rest, and the flames spread so rapidly that when she was coming out of her bedroom, partially dressed, the fire was issuing from the next room. Fitzgerald rented the house from Mr Scrimshaw, the undertaker, and one of the cottages which were destroyed, belonging to a railway employee named Dennis Blake, was empty. The other, in the occupation of Mr Gunderson, was the property of a railway laborer named McMullen. Mr Gunderson has lost nearly all his furniture. and Mrs Fitzgerald estimates her loss at £SOO, besides a sum of money which was in her bedroom. Shortly after the alarm was given, the Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Harris, were on the spot, but the engines were of no avail to extinguish the flames from the want of water. The fire was fanned by the strong south-westerly gale, which scattered the sparks in showers. There was, therefore, no chance of saving the building. A body of police were on the spot, under the command of Superintendent Broham and Mr Inspector Hickson, but their duties were nearly a sinecure, as very few people were present. By daybreak scarcely a vestige of the building was left, the ground where it stood being perfectly bare. The following are the insurances : Standard Office, £250 in favour of the mortgagees, Louisson, and Co,; £265 on the furniture iu the name of William Rogers and, £35 on the piano in the same name. Fitzgerald also had an insurance in the South British on the building of £SOO. Denis Blake was insured in the National for £l6O, and McMullen for £IOO in the same office.

Fibe at Sandeidge. About noou yesterday (Friday) another fire occurred, at Sandridge, by whicb an eight-roomed wooden house occupied and owned by William Henry Miller, a builder, was totally destroyed. There was no one on the premises when the fire broke out. Shortly before, Mrs Miller was cooking at a wood fire in the kitchen range, and had left the house to procure some milk a short distance away. A few minutes afterwards she saw the building in flames. A quantity of wood and shavings had been left inside the fender, and it is supposed that they became ignited by a spark from the kitchen range, and probably communicated with a bag of shavings which was lying in the room, and so spread before any attempt could be made to extinguish the fire. Mr Miller was at work on a section at the rear, building a house, when he saw the fire. He immediately ran across, and with the assistance of some of his neighbours succeeded in saving a part of his furniture and a small quantity of clothing. He estimates his loss at £IOO. The house was insured in the London and Lancashire for £4OO, the policy being held by the mortgagees, the Permanent Building and Investment Society. Fortunately the house was a detached one, the nearest building being about five chains distant.

Fire in Colombo Street North. — The premises of Mr Fountain Barber, bookseller, in Colombo street, had a narrow escape from fire yesterday afternoon. Shortly before two o’clock he discovered some empty cases which were lying in his back yard to be on fire, but a few buckets of water extinguished them. While he was putting out the flames he noticed a considerable quantity of soot come out of the engine chimney of Mr Treleaven’s next door, and fall into his yard, and Mr Barber conjectured that the cases had been set on fire by this means. Information had been given to the police, and Sergeant Hughes came to make some investigation into the circumstances, but on examination could find no evidence of Mr Treleaven’s chimney having been on fire, as no sparks had been seen to issue from it, and the bare fact of the falling soot was insufficient to account for the burning of the cases in Mr Barber’s yard. Sergeant Hughes accounted for the soot by its having been blown out of the chimney by the steam from the exhaust pipe of the engine.

Fire in "a Theatre.— During the performance of the Kelly and Leon troupe at Ashburton on Thursday an accident occurred that, but for the presence of mind shown, might have had serious consequences. A kerosene lamp hanging above the stage was knocked down by one of the performers, and tbe oil, catching fire, spread over the flooring. Luckily the stage carpet was near, and two of the troupe managed to smother the llaxne with it. It is to be hoped that, by means of an elevated tank or some other method, the directors of tbe Town Hall Company will provide for the speedy extinction of fire during a performance.

Fiek at Swann anoa.— On Thursday evening a six-roomed house, belonging to Mr Thomas Hide, and occupied by Mr Sellars, a platelayer on the railway and his family, was destroyed by fire. The chimney caught fire, and the sparks set fire to the roof. The building was insured in the New Zealand Company for £l5O. A few articles of furniture were saved.