FIRE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2542, 1 June 1882, Page 3

FIRE.

Last evening, at about ten minutes past seven o’clock, as Sergeant Hughes was proceeding along Manchester street, bis attention was arrested by a glare proceeding from the vicinity of Collins' Hotel in Hereford street. He at once sent Mr Frank Hobbs, Inspector of Nuisances to the City Council, to the Lichfield street Fire Brigade Station to give the alarm, which being rung out by the bell at that station was speedily taken up by the bell at the Chester street station. The sergeant proceeded to the scene of the fire, which was found to be at the stables in the rear of Collins’ Hotel, when he reached the spot the fire was bursting out of tha hay loft, and had obtained a good hold of the building. By this time George Doak, the barman at the hotel had discovered the fire, and alarmed tha inmates of a seven - zoomed dwelling-house attached to the stables, at the same time proceeding to the stalls in which five horses were standing, and with a carving knife he at once out the halters by which they were secured and drove them out. In the meantime the occupants of the dwelling, which was tenanted by Mr W. H. Lodge, were not idle. In a bedroom next to the burning pile, a little girl, the daughter of Mr Lodge was sleeping, he at once rushed in and bore the child to u place of safety. A lot of willing hands were fully occupied in removing the furniture of the lower part of the house, but everything in the upper rooms was consumed. A room in the hay loft, which was occupied by two cabmen, was destroyed with its contents, comprising their wearing apparel, Cavalry accoutrements, and harness. The Fire Brigade was quickly on the spot. The Deluge was placed at the tank opposite the White Hart, from whence the hose was reeled out to the sceue of the fire, a distance of nearly 800 ft. The other engine, the Extinguisher, was taken to the drain running through the centre of Manchester street, bat owing to a lot of earth being placed on the sump grating, it was unable to work therefrom, but a goad supply of water being obtained from the Deluge, and the night being calm, the brigade was fortunately enabled to confine the fire to the block of buildings in which it originated. The cricketing saloon, which is erected in front of the stabling, stood well, its escape from conflagration being due to the roof being of iron, as at one time a mass of burning debris fell on it, which, had it been composed of shingles, must have resulted in tha destruction of the building. The result of the fire is that a seven-roomed dwelling-house, an eightstall stable and hay loft are totally destroyed. Mr Lodge, who is not insured, estimates his loss at £IOO. Mr Cooper, proprietor of Collins’ Hotel, who is the lessee of the stables, was insured for the sum of £SOO in the Northern Assurance Company, and he estimates his lots at fully that amount. Mr Broom, who occupies the cottage fronting on Hereford street, suffered a little damage through the removal of his furniture, his house being in such close contiguity to the burning pile as to render it more than probable the fire would extend thereto, but, happily, its progress was arrested before it could communicate to it. The fire brigade worked splendidly, and the police, under tha control of Sergeant-Major Mason, rendered efficient service in keeping the large crowd from impeding the efforts of the members of the former body. It is not known how the fire originated. Five minutes before it broke out Mrs Lodge passed along the right-of-way leading to the dwelling-house and saw no sign of fire. A short time previously the cabmen who lived in the room attached to the hay-loft left the premises, when they say everything was perfectly safe.