Narrow Escape From Fire in the Square.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1667, 25 March 1886, Page 4

Narrow Escape From Fire in the Square.

Messrs Gardes, Miller, and in fact all that side of the Square, had a most miraculous escape from being totally destroyed by fire this forenoon. At about 10.30 a smelt of burning was noticed by Mrs Miller in the store alongside Mr Gardes' shop. She instantly spoke to Mr Gardes, who came in but could not discover anything, although the smell of fire was becoming stronger every moment. Coming into the street, however, he at once noticed smoke issuing from between his own and Miller's store where there is a passage between the two houses. As he could not get in here, the place being boarded up, he rushed to the back entrance, not a bucket of water was to be had, and on getting in between the houses he had only just enough to damp the burning matter, which turned out to be a quantity of rubbish which had accumulated there. Mr Gardes, however, with a determined effort, heaped the a fire together and succeeded in stamping it out after some trouble and exertion. He, doubtless, by his prompt action, saved the buildings along that side of the Square from destruction by fire, and deserves the hearty thanks of, not only the residents of the Square, but also the Insurance Companies, for the successful way in which he extinguished the fire. On inquiry afterwards it was found that a girl acting as help for Mr Hicks in the rooms over Mr Gardes' shop, had thrown some refuse out of the window between the houses, instead of taking it away in a proper manner, and had doubtless amongst the ashes from the fireplace managed to take away some hot cinders, which of course, on being thrown out into a quantity of dried refuse ignited, and would certainly have burnt the place down, had it not been for the action so promptly taken by Mr Gardes.