DESTRUCTIVE FIRE. Outbreak at Mr W. Vaile's Drapery Store. Estimated Damage, £7,750.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 65, 30 August 1884, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE. Outbreak at Mr W. Vaile's Drapery Store. Estimated Damage, £7,750.

(Fioni the Auckland " Star," August 27.) Ax alarm of fire was rung out by the city bell^ about half-pa<-t nine last night, owing to the discovery of an extensive fire on the promises of Messrs Yailc and Co., drapers, of Queen-Street. The building was one storey high, and built of biick, being 'situated between two biick stoics oocupied by Mr Atkin, draper, on the one side, and CLr.ke Bro-., photographer-, on the other side. ConstableWild and McConnell were pas-ing the building at the time mentioned, when their attention \us atii acted by the prevalence of .-moke under Mr Vaile's shop verandali. They at once concluded that a heiiou* outbieak of fire had occurred, and gave the alaim. The Fiie Brigade, under Supeiintenflent Hughes, theSahage Coip*, under Captain Field, and the police, under Sergeant Uatnbio, weie speedily in attendance, and the locality of the iiie having been discovered, they perioimed their respective duties with smartness. The loot of the building was of iron, with skylights, and the fire having shown through the lattei", ladders were erected and the ho^e was speedily playing on the burning mass from abov3. The inside of the shop w. as then in a big bla/e, but the steady stream of water which was laid on speedily put all further possibility of the fire spreading at an end, and in a very short space of time the conflagration was extinguished. When the premises were examined subsequently, the stock was found to have been very seriously damaged, the fire having apparently raged more fiercely in the southern side of the building, where a chimney and fireplace is situated behind the counter. Mr Vaile informs us that he left the shop in company with his assistants at (i o'clock last evening, after having seen that everything was right, and locked the door in the shutters in Queenstreet as usual, lie Mas informed of the fire late in the evening, and being then at Noith Shore, ho came over in the Jl o'clock boat and found things as already described above. Mr Vaile estimates the damage done to stock at 17,000, the insurances being as follow: — £4,000 in the 2Siorth British, I' l,ooo in the New Zealand, and 1 1,000 in the Norwich Union. The building is owned by Mr F. L. Vrimo, and is insured in the New Zealand ior tw.">o The stock in Mr Stephen's boot and shoe store, situated adjacent to Mr Vaile's premises, was also damaged owing to water streaming through an aperture in the wall, which completely soaked a quantity of his best goods. The shop was filled with smoke to a suffocating degree, and Mr Stephens had to remove a number of trunks of boots and shoes from their proximity to tho fire, which raged with great fierceness against tho dividing wall. As the partition is only a brick in thickness, he was afraid that flames might follow the smoke, and so removed his books and valuables to a place of safety, lvospecting the origin of tho fire Mr Vaile is of opinion that it must have commenced through a spark from tho fireplace lodging amongst the goods packed under tho counter a few feet distant. He says there was a fire lit during the day, and, as usual, it was extinguished before the shop was closed, but it is possible that a spark may before that have ignited some inflammablo material in the stock, and this led to an extensive fire,

forced by Mr Macrae. These precautions proved not in vain. Atkinson's house being searched, resulted in the discovery of the stolen fence rails, marked eggs, and also various carpenters' tools missed from the farm. On the constable proposing to take him in charge, Atkinson declined to go, refused to put on his coat, and made a desperate resistance to being handcuffed. Ultimately ho was overpowered, and the "darbies" clapped on his wrists, but not before he had seriously kicked the constable. His legs were then tied, and Mr Macrae having provided a dray, the violent prisoner, uttering wild threats of vengeance, was conveyed to Onehunga lock-up. There his violence continued, and he had to be manacled to a ring-bolt in the floor to keep him comparatively quiet. Yesterday the prisoner was brought up at the Onehunga J.P. Court, before Dr. Scott and Mr T.Bali, J.P.s, when, the larcenies being clearly proved, he was sentenced to four months' imprisonment. For assaulting the police he got another two months additional, making six months in all. We are informed that the " private detective " has succeeded in obtaining other information which may lead to several other parties in the district being charged with offences against Mr Macrae. There was rather a feeling against the latter gentleman— many of his friends thinking that he was unduly contentious and apt to grumble ; but the discoveries made amply justify him, and should gain sympathy for him among his well-meaning neighbours.