FIRE AT STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 192, 27 August 1901, Page 2

FIRE AT STRATFORD.

About 11.30 on Monday a fierce ire [broke out in Hitchcock's Furniture Warehouse in North Broad iray. | Within a few minutes of the outbreak the whole of the interior of the building was a mass of flames. The fir* brigade were quickly on toe scene, and « a very short time elapsed before tbey got to work. In the meantime many willing hands had been busy currying out the furniture from the froatof the shop, which luckily was the last por- [ * ioQ of the building to catch fin. Possibly .£2OO worth of furniture was saved. The fire brigade made desperi ite efforts to save the front part of the building, but they w*re unfortunately unable to prevent the whole place being guttt d. The men wjre able and will* ing, but their appliances proved, to be totally inadequate to cope with a fire of magnitude. No fewer than fmr times did the hose burst. The damaged section would be taken out: and a fresh one put in, with the result that a burst occurred in another place as soon as the pressure came on.

Benjamin and Thtcker'sstabltsbnone side, and Bannett's butcher's ehop on the other t ; de of the burning building were in danger of being destroyed, especially the stable. Everything was carried out of b)th placet in anticipation of destruction, but a strong pump and bucket brigade k>pt the walls and roof we*, and the spread of the fire was thus prevented. Had it no 1 ; been for the brick walls the stable must in vitably have been destroyed, So far as we can learn, the firs wis cur=ed by the heating of the be wings of the ocular saw shaft. A lot of tow was coll- cted around the bearings, and as the heat increased, it became igaited. A hewing on the engine bad been in the habit of heating, and tbenunin charge on smelling the fire immediately thought it was the engine bearing heating. On examination, however, he found such was not the oise. On leaving the engine room he saw where the fire was. It was at that time quite small, bat immediately he eadeavooni to thrash it out with a stick there was a great burst of flame, Attempt to check its progress were futile, and the man had a narrew escape, having to climb out through a small back window. He received some nasty outs about the hands, and had his face considerably singed. The fire spread with remarkable rapidity, and of the eleven men working up stairs, not one was able to save his too's.

Ti.e ins' ranees were as follow* :—. £SOO oa the stock and plant {a tbe Manchester, anJ £3OO in the Unity on tha building. —Settler.