Fire Inquest.

Patea Mail, 17 March 1881, Page 3

Fire Inquest.

A sitting of the Coroner’s Court was held yesterday at Paten, to enquire into the cause of the destructive lire on the drapery premises of Messrs C. Skclley & Co., on the night .of the 2nd instant. The inquiry' was held at the instance of managing agents of the Colonial Insurance Co. and the South British Co., the stock and premises being insured in these offices. Mr Hamerton appeared to watch the case on behalf of tiic brothers C. and W. Skcllcy', who conducted the drapery business, and of W. Skclley senr., owner. The jmy consisted of Messrs James Tyndall (foreman), Alex. Black, A. Payne, George Beamish, li. Kirk, J. Packcnham, John McCarty, P. Larson, W. Dixon, C. Orchard, J. Donnelly, and O. McKittrick. Mr C. A. Wray’, Coroner, invited (he jury to first view the premises, after which the following evidence was taken. Colmer Skclley' deposed : I am one of the occupiers of the premises, and our business was that of general drapers. About nine or half-past on the night of the 2nd instant, I left by the front door, my brother remaining inside. I ihink be joined me outside in two or three minutes, having come out by the back way. He bad a light in the bedroom when 1 left. AVe went to the Albion Hotel, and remained till about twelve o’clock. While sitting in a room with others, I heard a call of (ire, and on going out I saw that the fire, was at our promises. The lamp in the bedroom was left on a dressing table near the window, two or three feet from the bed. There was no inflammable material near the lamp. It was cleaned about once a week, or when required. I have no idea of the origin of the fire. Nothing but the lamp was alight on the premises when I left. When I reached the premises after the ahum, the fire was confined to the right-hand room at the back, and the flames had not got in the shop then. 1 broke a pane of glass at the front and went in, and got hold of some of the books) and I also saved some of the stock. The smoke was too strong, and I was driven out. Someone then broke in the glass, which drew the flames forward, this preventing any'onc from going in to save the stock. Water seemed very' scarce, and had no effect on the tiro. The building was entirely' destroyed in an hour. The building was insured for £2OO in the South British and in the Colonial for £125. The stock was insured for £BOO in the Colonial oflice. I value the building at about £350, and the stock was worth about £2,500. It was general drapery. By Sergeant Donovan : I was not outside the hotel during the evening until the alarm of fire. About a dozen books were in use generally 7 in the shop, and wc saved the new ledger, one day book, and the entry book. I saved those books on the counter, which had been in use in entering up, but the others were in the desk, and were not saved The lank at the back of the shop would contain perhaps 600 gallons, but there had been no rain for about six weeks, except a little on the day previous. in reply' to questions put by the representative of the South British Insurance Co., the witness said : There were two rooms in the shop when it was insured, and wc always slept on the premises, and boarded at the hotel. AVo bad no heating apparatus. The building was lined and ceiled with wood. Wc always left the lamp burning on going out in the evening. The stock was all cotton and woollen goods. The kerosene would be less than one case. The stock war consumed clean. By' the Foreman ; I do not know

whether the wick ol tli<; lamp had been trimmed that day.

By Mr Ilamertuu : \\ hen I loft, the lire was still smouldering, and kept alight till next morning, t could not see under the sheets of iron which had fallen in until next morning, when all was consumed. W. Skelley, brother of last witness, deposed : I loft the premises about nine o’clock, and the place was thoroughly safe—-as wo alway's had left it previously. 1 left a kerosene lamp on a tabic in the bedroom. The light was turned down. I went for a walk, and spent a portion of the evening with Major Parris at the Albion Hotel. I remained in the hotel till about half-past eleven, when Air Haywood remarked someone was calling “lire.” As 1 went towards the tloor, a remark was made that Arthur’s place was on lire. I went over towards the fire, and saw it was our building - . i broke one window to try- and save something, but was advised not to try, as my brother was still inside. Several books were then banded out, I don’t know by whom. A few things wore saved and packed in a ease. The Fire Brigade arrived at the same time, and commenced throwing water on the building, but it seemed to have no effect. In twenty minutes the flames bad full possession of the building, and all was consumed iu an hour. The few things saved were wall screens, coats, and other things. 1 think the water tank would be three parts full. I don’t know whether the water was used by the brigade. Everything was done that seemed possible to put (rut the lire. I left the lamp on a small table iu a corner behind the door. My brother usually cleaned ilie lamp. It was one used in the windows, and had to be kept clean and bright. There was a tin of kerosene. J am usually away from the shop, up country. By Sergeant Donovan : I did not leave the hotel between half-past nine and the time of the alarm. It was a flat-bottomed bracket-lamp. There was no eat or dog in the place. I don’t know where the kerosene tin was put. I had no idea of danger from turning the lamp down, as 1 ahvay-s did it. I have never known the tank dry. Jn reply to representative of the Colonial Insurance Co., the witness said: The stock was worth about £2,000. We have purchased over £3OO worth of goods during the last throe months ; from M’Artluns, J, Nathan & Co., William, Nicholson, & Co., and Twcntiman and Cousins.

Replying to South British representative he said ; I left the premises last, and went afterwards to MeKittrick’s hotel. 1 did not return to the premises till after the alarm.

By Air Hamorton : Wc had purchased nearly £4OO worth within a month—that is the orders were executed within that month. I spend tbree-fourtlis of my time away from the town, being on business np-conntry. Witness : The goods Avere delivered and marked off before the fire. The lamp in the room could be seen from the street.

By the Foreman : The roofing iron had not been removed next morning when I saw the mins.

Jas. Kenworthy deposed; 1 Avas passing down the road quickly, about 20 minutes to 12 o’clock, and noticed a glare or reflection on the front window of Alessrs Skellcy’s, but did not notice it particularly. I thought it Avas the reflection of the hotel lamp. Otto Inglcman, laborer, said : About half past eleven 1 beard an alarm of lire, and found two or three persons at the premises. 1 saw lire in the back part, and I broke a couple of windows, but did not go inside. I reached in the window, and took out some drapery. I got some kerosene on my clothes. I don’t know whether it was off the clothes I was rescuing. By the Coroner : I shifted some boxes at the back later, and the kcrosecnc may have got on my clothes in that way. A juror: Was the kcroseine kept inside or out ?

C. Skelly : The tin was kept inside. Witness in reply to insurance agent said : A good deal of kerosene got on my trousers. 1 did not break a lamp in the window when breaking it. 1 don’t think I got any kerosene till I Avent to the back. Sergeant Donovan : i don’t think it is necessary to call more evidence of this character.

(J. Skelly. recalled, said : There were nine or ten lamps in the shop, including two in each window. They were always filled with kerosene. Bracket lamps stood about a foot high in cadi window, and it would be possible to break tiiese in breaking windows from outside. I broke a window to got in, bat got no kerosene on my clothes.

J. Gibson, storekeeper, said : I was awoke by a call of lire at 11.50. 1 heard glass breaking, and in a very few minutes the whole place was in flames. In "JO minutes the walls and roof had fallen in. Sergeant Donovan : If there were a quantity of woollen articles, would they be burned away so as to leave no trace next morning V Witness ; L have had no experience of a tire. The heat was so intense that the iron curled up, and it would have no tendency to deaden the lire.

The Coroner then addressed the jury, pointing out that the lamp seemed to bo the only cause of the lire, ft was possible there might have been an accident with the lamp through its not being’ properly (rimmed. They must all have beard of such accidents. It was for the jury to say whether they wore satisfied as to the cause of the lire, or whether it occurred from a cause unknown.

The jury, after a few minutes’ conference, agreed to the following verdict : “ The jury unanimously lind that the premises were destroyed by lire on the night of the 2nd instant, and that tbo cause of the tire is unknown ; and, as a rider, they consider an amount of carelessness was shown on the part of the Skelleys iu leaving a lamp burning during their absence.” This closed the inquiry.