FIRE AT TE ARO.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4898, 2 December 1876, Page 2

FIRE AT TE ARO.

Shortly after midnight the Te Aro Bel rang out the alarm of fire, and was almost immediately responded to by that at. the Police Station. The Wellington Fire Brigade were first on the spot. The Central Brigade were directly upon their heels, and the Armed Constabulary were on the ground in an amazingly short space of time. The conflagration occurred in a house belonging to Mr. Parker, in Majoribanks-street, and the whole - of Mount Victoria was “lit' up by the flames. The fire was first discovered by some of the neighbors; ' who . gave the alarm. It appears' that a young man named Bellars living- opposite -Parker !' saw: smoke' "issuing • from the house of the latter, and immediately., betook.! himself to the. house occupied by a' member of the' Central 'Brigade, Fireman i Webb, and gave the alarm.; Webb hurriedly dressed himself and, as he lived on the hill above Parker’s "house, he was soon on the soehe. By : this time flames were issuing from a, window on; the upper story. Webb knocked at one of .the doors, and receiving no answer, burst open the door and entered. The only living thing he found there was a cat, which he picked up-and took outside. The next business was to get out the furniture, some of which was-saved. - From what our reporter could learn, it would seem that Mr. Parker has two houses in the city, and that the eldest daughter with some, or all of the children, were living alone in the house. However, the house was deserted when the fire aroae, and no explanation of its origin could be, obtained. It evidently commenced on the upper 7 storey, and the fire obtained a firm hold, before the brigades arrived, and it would certainly have , been impossible for them to have been there, much sooner. On arrival, however, the three brigades did their best, : and- soon succeeded in beating down the fire, which was almost entirely quenched at half-past one o’clock. It was very fortunate that a strong breeze was not blowing at. the time, - or in all probability Mr. Goudie’s house .would have suffered. Indeed, it could hardly have escaped. Parker’s house was insured in the National Insurance Company for £3OO. The furniture was uninsured. The house was very old—rone of the oldest in that locality—and was at one time the residence of the- late Superintendent, Mr., Fitzherbert. Credit is due to the brigades for the: promptitude with which they turned out on the alarm being given. 1 ' ' ' - "