FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81912, 27 December 1906, Page 2

FIRES.

NAeiEi;, Tjeecmbcr26. A six roomed house in Cameron Road, owned by Mr John Coupcr and occupied by Mrs Mac Donald, was totally destroyed by fire this oyening. llio lire was caused by a curtain being blown on to a candle left burning in one of the, rooms. The building was insured for 1)200 in the Union, and the furniture tor £l5O in the Yorkshire office. Waxoanui, December 2(i. A six-roomed house in Mathison street, owned by Charles Cathro, of Wayerley, and occupied by Charles Siaddon, was destroyed by lire this morning, The furniture was insured for £l2B in the Phoenix. The msuraneo on the house is not available. BURNED TO DEATH. CliiiisTCirujinr, December 20). A fatal fire occurred at Christchurch early yesterday morning, by which Thomas Lardlaw, aged 25, "lost his life, _ The fire broke out in an old dilapidated building used as a boarding house, and the ilamcs spread rapidly. The body of Laidlaw was found on a bed in the room where the fire had been fiercest. As he was found on a bed other than that on which he slept, he evidently endeavoured to escape and was overcome- by smpko. The body aud clothing were not badly j burned, At the inquest, the coroner said that bottles and other things found in the hoiisp suggested there had been a drunken spree during the cvev.'.j". He expressed himself strongly at allowing old dilapidated bu.ildin.ijs to aland in the city. The inquest wag .adjourned ' to allow tho police, aako further enquiries l" ecuiiwclioa with the fire.'

HOTEL BUKNED DOWN". Blenheim, Decembei 1 .2<5. BThe Criterion Hotel, Captain Falconer licensee, was destroyed by fire at 12.-10 this morning: Tho boarders, 22 in number, escaped in their nightclothes, several losing their personal effects. The brigade, in the face of a north-west wind, conliued the outbreak to the hotel, from which nothing was saved. Captain Falconer's tolas Eve .takings, and rgly; in notes which had been taiyen to the bedroom were lost. The insurances total £3500 on buildings (owned by Dwan Bros., Welling, (on) in tiie Phoenix, Commercial and South British, all three offices being about equally interested, and £IOOO on tho furniture, the offices not being known. There was a small sum on the licensee's personal effects. The Criterion building was erected aft*-, the big fire in 1887. *"'.

ic motor r- I{P nKsTI . OVFJ)i

""". Per J'l'ess Association.

A new Iwii-sforcv brick building, occupied hi- Ryan and Co.. engineers, v-iis gutted by (ire today. Tim whole eluding lii motor car-., valued at about

'-ilil.! to ,li 15,0111); also Ihe plant. v. io'.-h was valued at IiSOUU The oriein of Ihe lire is a mvsierv The building and nlsiiit were'a!i„u; eivered by insurance, but (he slock v-.j-.ieseuts alnioat a comolete loss.

LATEST TELEGRAMS