FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 107, 2 June 1909, Page 2

FIRES.

A COTTAGE GUTTED. AN ARREST MADE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dtmedin, Last Xight. The lire brigade was called out at 7.2.) this morning to a four-roomed cottage in Dimdas Street, owned by Samsou iiml Co., 11 ml occupied by Mrs, Robertson. The occupier had not been in tin; house for some days. Three rooms were badly damaged before the outbreak was quelled. This afternoon Frederick Charles Lacy was arrested on a charge of wilfully setting lire to the house. OUTBREAK AT LKVIX.

Levin, Tuesday. Bntit and Co.'s Ibutchery and part of On Tie's fruit shop ivere burned this morning. The insurance amounts (0 £375. HOTEL PROPERTY DESTROYED. YVanganui, Tuesday. A fire occurred at Wavertey last night, the Commercial Hotel, containing 30 or 40 rooms, being completely gutted, and the Clarendon Hotel partially des'troved. The lire originated in .the' kitchen of the Commercial Hotel, owned by Ellis, and occupied by .Smith, the lattc'r being a heavy loser. The lire brigade, which has no high-pressure water supply, had great dilliculty in preventing t-lie spread of the fire. The damage to the Clarendon, owned and occupied by Oakenfall, is estimated at several hundred pounds. The insurances are: —Commercial, building £!I00, stock Cllllli. furniture £7OO 111 .the Atlas. Clarendon, building.£lo2s, furniture and stock C 875 ill Mie Atlas! Ihe Miniates of the Commercial lost nearly all their belonging* cscimiim in their night clothes. ' °

The Patea Press gives further particulars. It states that the brigade arrived to find the Commercial a mass of flames, and directed all their efforts to saving the Clarendon Hotel, which had already caught alight from the showers •of sparks carried across the road bv the driving wind. The arrival of th*Wairoa liilles saved the situation so far as the Clarendon was concerned. About twenty men of the corps were on the scene at 2 o'clock, and afforded the brigade invaluable help in fighting tile outbreak, which took two hours to suodue. The front of the Clarendon -i badly charred, and every window is broken. The Commercial and its fittings were insured, but Mr. Smith will be • heavy loser. So rapid was the progress of the fire that salvage operations were impossible. The inmates tumbled out in night attire. The house was full of boarders, who lost almost everything,