THE LATE FIRE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5146, 20 September 1877, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE.

coroner's inquest. An inquest was held yesterday at the Theatre Royal Hotel, before Dr. Johnston, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr. G. Denton was foreman, to enquire into the circumstances and origin of the late destructive fire on Mr. Alcorn’s premises, Lambton-quay. The Coroner observed that the enquiry was held at the request of one of the insurance companies, in accordance with the usual custom in such cases ; but he did not think that any definite conclusion was likely to be arrived at as to the cause of the fire. There was no suspicion entertained of foul play. However, it would be for the jury to say, after hearing the evidence, whether they could say what the origin of the fire was, or to adopt the other alternative of returning an open verdict. Samuel Wesley Alcorn deposed : I am a draper residing in Wellington, and was the occupier of the premises on Lambton-quay which were burned down on the evening of Tuesday, the 11th September inst. The shop was closed at 6 o’clock, and I remained about half an hour after the assistants left. The gas was turned off except the jet at my desk. There was no fire or fireplace in the shop, and no candles. I turned my gaslight very low down, but not quite out, when I had finished my work. I then went upstairs to the sittingroom, and remained there until the alarm of fire was given, at about S o’clock, by the servant girl, Alice Gough, who said the shop was on fire. I went to the door, and saw the reflection of light from below. I then ran to the front window, and got down by the verandah post on to the ground, calling out “ Fire." I then went to the back of the house, where a hose was placed, and having fixed the hose turned on the water. A man took the hose and commenced playing on the fire, and I proceeded to look aftermy wife and family. Almost immediately the fire burst through the windows. My own opinion is that the cause of the fire was an escape of gas which reached the small jet which I had left alight. There was nothing hanging near the lighted jet which could have ignited. It was my custom to leave the gas lighted at the desk. If the alarm of fire had not arisen I should have gone back to the shop in a few minutes afterwards to return to my work. When the alarm was first given the fire had got thoroughly hold of the shop. The gas fittings, so far as I knew, were satisfactory. I had not had occasion to get any of the pipes repaired in consequence of rats having eaten them through, but on one occasion some time previously, shortly after taking possession of the premises, it was discovered that a nail had been driven into one of the pipes beneath the floor, which caused an escape, and the floor was taken up and the damage repaired. Clara Valentine deposed : I was nurse at Mr. Alcorn’s at the time of the fire. I was then in the kitchen. It was about 8 o’clock. The kitchen window looks on to the dome in the roof of the showroom, from which a bright light was reflected, and there was smoke coming upstairs. The other servant girl, Alice Gough, ran out of the kitchen, and almost immediately called out that the shop was on fire. She then ran to tell Mr. Alcorn, and had just time to get back through the smoke to the kitchen. There were two of Mr. Alcorn’s children in the kitchen. We got them out through the window, and-got out ourselves on to the roof of Mr. Gamble’s premises. We could then see the fire through the dome. It looked as if the whole of the showroom was on fire. We could not get out in any way except by the window, the fire was so quickly upon us. Mr. Alcorn was recalled, and stated ; The gas pipe leading to the desk was a composition pipe. My little girl, aged eleven, went down stairs shortly before the alarm was given to a small room behind the shop to get something from a tool-box. She had a match with her. She blew it out and brought it back to the upstairs room. Whilst sitting up stairs I heard a noise as if something had fallen, and said to my wife, “ What noise is that.” I thought it was something which the servants had let fall in the kitchen, but subsequently understood from them that nothing had fallen. My belief is that the fire was caused by the explosion of gas. If the premises had been set on fire by an incendiary, it would have been impossible for the whole building to be on fire all over at < mce. Lewis Moss, Captain of the Central Volunteer Fire Brigade, deposed; I have attended at many fires in Wellington. 1 was at Mr. Alcorn’s premises immediately after the alarm of fire on the night of the 11th instant. I live in the immediate neighborhood. On my arrival on the spot, which was within a minute or two of the alarm being given, I saw flames coming out of all the three front windows. The hosereel was brought on to the scene in a few minutes afterwards. On looking round the premises, it appeared that the greatest body of the tire proceeded from the showroom. My opinion is that the cause of the fire was an explosion of gas. The whole building was in two minutes’ time after tbs alarm was given a mass of flames. It contained inflammable materials, which would be likely to feed a fire. The Coroner observed that he was himself in the neighborhood at the time, and remarked

how quickly after the first alarm was given the whole building was in flames. His own opinion was there was a very strong presumption that the fire arose from an explosion of gas, but whether there was sufficient evidence for the jury to arrive at that conclusion it would be for them after consulting together to say. , t , The jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdict that the fire was accidental, but how or by what means it was caused there was no evidence to show.