Fires in Paimerston.

Manawatu Herald, 5 July 1894, Page 3

Fires in Paimerston.

Shortly before 12 o'clock on Tues* day night the firebells rang out an alarm, and a short investigation proved that a dangerous fire was burning in the partition wall between the Central Hotel and the Theatre Royal. The Fire Brigade, under the command of Capt. Tingeys and Lieut. Dunderdale, were quickly on the spot, and the boards round the chimney, where the fire was located, were pulled off. Immediately this was done the flames rushed out, but £he application of a steady stream of water soon put an end to all danger. The fire, however, was not subdued until it had spreai from the bottom of the chimney of the bar parlor, where jt apparently originated, to the roof. . The ceiling had to be wrenched open and the roof taken off before the last spark was put out Though the walls of the ! I heatre Were not burned through, the heat was so great in Messrs Lin ton and Mowlem's office as to char some billheads and other papers which were on the floor. The furniture and stock were considerably damaged by water, and a good deal of the .lining round the chimney and the lining of the ceiling was entirely consumed by the fire. It is probable that the fire origin - ; ated at the bottom of the chimney. .";• The building is insured in the ft e\v Zealand office for £800. At a quarter past two o'olock a second fire broke out in the editorial room of the Standard office. Foreman AUanach, who was in charge of the firemen appointed to watch the Central Hotel for the remainder of the night, was the first to notice the flames issuing from the Standard office, and he immediately gave orders for. the bell to be ruag. By this time other members of the brigade had arrived, and the work of extinguishing the flames was proceeded ' with rapidly. This seemed at first no easy task to accomplish owwg^Qr.ihe- heavy gale that was bUHS)Eg. However, by dint of great ex&&ons.. the firemen succeeded in oonflning the fire to the front portion of the premises, and in three quarters of an hour it was extinguished. The fire evidently commenced in the editorial department upstairs. Both rooms on this floor were completely gutted. A valuable library was destroyed, also olher records, inoluding the newspaper files.— M. Time*. ' m^^^^^^^