FIRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 155, 28 June 1878, Page 2

F IRE.

The house in Trafalgar-street south, belonging to Mr James Watkins, was almost totally destroyed by fire last night. Between half-past eight and nine o'clock the bells struck up a furious clatter, but the fire must have been started long before the alarm was sounded, for, on the arrival of the Brigade, who were quite as smart as usual in obeying the call to duty, it was found th§t the flames

were breaking out of the upstairs windows and creeping through the slates on the roof. Prior to this, Mr Sharp and two or three willing assistants had entered the house and contrived to secure a large painting, by Mr Gully, which was hanging in the diningroom. A pier-glass, two marble mantelpieces, and a few other fittings were also saved. Some few minutes elapsed before the fire-plug could be foundj and by the time the' lioses wei ; c iii position so vast was the body of *danie that the attempt to save any part of the building seemed almost hopeless. However, Captain Lightfoot and his men are nofc easily daunted, and they determined to do their best. Two hoses were attached to one plug, and one to another about 100 yards higher up the hill, making in all 360 yards of hose, in three lenghths of 360 feet each; By a judicious application of the water whereever the fire was burning most fiercely, the Brigade, in the Course of time, began to master the flames, and, to cut a long story short, were eventually successful in saving the conservatory-, katli rOora, and kitchen, which, on visiting the hoiisfe to-day j we found little worse for the rough treatment they had received. The house was insured for £2000 ia the Victoria Company, which had reinsured £1000 with the. "Standard, and was just on the point of reinsuring £500 more with the Royal, indeed would have done so two days ago but for some trifling disagreement as to the terms, which had to be referred to head- quarters to be adjusted. There was also a policy of £500 on the furniture with the Victoria, but the whole of it, with the exception of about £50 worth, most of which was saved, had been" removed. As to the origin of the fire, that still remains a mystery, the solution of which must be left to the police. The hciuse was in an isolated position; JMr Watkins and his family had left it five or six weeks ago and removed to Taranaki; and ifc had remained unoccupied, the doors being locked. . To one of three causes the fire must be attributed — spontaneous combustion, the old rat-and-match theory, or incendiarism. Perhaps if the Insurance agents, combined with the police,, set to work to find oufc which, they may' arrive ut a satisfactory conclusion.