FIRES.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1634, 16 May 1879, Page 3

FIRES.

About half-past nine o’clock last evening a fire broke out in Cashel street east in the immediate vicinity of the Queen’s Hotel. In less than three minutes after the alarm was given the centre of the city was illuminated, and it needed little enquiry to see that the fire was in a two-storied wooden building occupied by Messrs A. Wilson and Co, commission agents, immediately adjoining the Queen’s Hotel, the next building being the brick grain store of Messrs J. L. Wilson and Co. with a vacant allotment between them. The building was of no great size, and blazed up almost as quickly as tinder, the dimes coming from the whole of the upper windows, but most fiercely from those on the eastern and northern sides. The first engine to arrive was the hand-engine belonging to the hook and ladder company, and while some of the men were laying the hose to the tank in front of the White Hart Hotel, others fixed their ladder together and reared it against the eastern end of the hotel fronting Cashel street. By this time the wooden building was a mass of flames, which leaped up against the brick wall of the hotel, at one time very seriously threatening the safety of that building, the wall being so hot that it absolutely cracked. Many of the boarders, not caring to wait the result, prepared to remove their belongings. Fortunately, however, the Extinguisher soon arrived and got to the work, and in a very few minutes all danger of the Queen’s catching was over. The building in which the fire had commenced was completely destroyed. From the manner in whiHh it burnt there did not appear to bo a great deal of merchandise in it. The police, as usual, were on the spot in full force, and the fire brigade and the fire police with their appliances ready to got to work in a remarkably short space of time. Mr Wilson himself occupied the lower part of the premises facing Cashel street, where he sold tobacco, pipes, bitters, washing soda, and chemicals used by photographers. Mr Wilson lived on the North Town belt, but has been absent for a day or two. Lateb.

So far as can be learned, there appears to be no clue to the origin of the fire. The building, which was completely destroyed, was insured in the name of J. L. Wilson for £2OO in the Standard Insurance Company, and the stock in the name of Alfred Wilson for £2OO in the National. Mr A. Wilson rented the promises from Mr J. L, Wilson (they are not relations), and used it as a fancy goods store, &o. At the time the fire occurred, the stock in the building consisted of a large quantity of clay pipes, cordials, bitters, cigars, and fancy goods. The Queen's Hotel (next door) is insured for £2OOO, but that does not represent the value of the building, the cost of erecting it having been something like £IOOO. The furniture and stock are totally uninsured. Notwithstanding that the store was almost burnt to the ground, a portion of the stock is not much damaged, such as a quantity of pipes and cases of liquor or cordials, &c., which will probably be disposed of by auction.

About 8.30 last evening a fire broke out in the lean-to attached to the residence of Mr T. J. Gee, Salisbury street. Before it was discovered the fire had worked up into the rafters of the building. However, the efforts of neighbours with buckets of water succeeded in overcoming the fire without she necessity of ringing the fire-bell.