Fire and loss of Life.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 33, 19 January 1884, Page 4

Fire and loss of Life.

Chicago, December I.— At half -past five this afternoon a fire was discovered in Farwell Block, the largest business building in the city, bounded by Adams, Market, Monroe-streets, and the river. The great structure, however, is broken by heavy fire-walls running through it, but for which the entire building would have been swept away by the flames. The fire was confined to Nos. 168 and 170, Market-street, to the three lower floors, which were occupied by Metzler Bros., nation dealers, and the four upper floors by Beak and Butcher, furriers. The latter firm employs nearly two hundred girls, all but seven of whom had gone home when the fire was discovered. Those remlining in the building very soon became aware of the approach of the flames by the smoke seeking its way from the lower floors, where the fire originated A panic ensued among the women, and their terror increased by discovering the main doorway leading to the lower floors, was locked and barred. They made their way back to the fifth floor, and a number made their way along the window edges on the outsideof the building to a point beyond the one protecting the fire walls into an adjoining store. Two young women, Kitty Hilgert and Francis Fairweather, made their way to the fire escape, but through terroratviewing theflames bursting from the building immediately below r , dropped to the stone sidewalk, and both were instantly killed. Great confusion reigned in and about the building up to 9 o'clock, when a statement was made by those interested that all remaining em ployees had escaped from the structure, but as the upper floors were filled with a dense column of smoke, and as the fireman had been unable to make a search fears were entertained that a further loss of life had occurred.

In the course of a debate in the Irish Parliament (which Home Rulers want restored), a speaker remarked that " the tax on leather would be severely felt by the bare-footed peasantry of Ireland," to which Sir B. Roche replied that "this could be easily remedied by making the underleathers of wood." The Tichborne Claimant will be liberated from gaol on a ticket-ofleave in October next, as his license will be due on that date in the ordinary course. "Yonder go the most disobliging couple in our neighbourhood." "You surprise me; please explain." "Oh, they always close the windows when they have a row." In Canterbury the crops are looking well, and the weather continues favourable. It is feared there will be a scarcity of hands for harvest work. Where are the " unemployed" ? Having been enveloped in a garment much too big for him, a little boy told his father that he felt "awfully lonesome" in his new shirt,