SEQUEL TO A FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1916, Page 3

SEQUEL TO A FIRE.

ENQUIRY BEFORE THE CORONER. .NO EVIDENCE OF THE CAUSE, An enquiry iuto the cause of the recent (ire at Air. W. H. Stoeklcy's house in Morlcy street (occupied "by Mr. R. S. Wooldridgo) was held before Mr. A, Crookc, S.M., yesterday, Mr. J, H. Quilliam appeared for the Fire. Board and Mr. A. H. Johnstone represented Mr. Wooldridgo, Robert Stanley Wooldridge, a .mechanical engineer, said that until recently lie occupied the house in question. Witness did not know until after the fire that the house was insured. Witness lived with his family in the house until the date of the fire. The family left the house about a week before Christmas, and witness and his wife also left on the morning of Christinas Eve. He returned to the house on the following Monday (December 27) hetween nine and ten o'clock at night. He did not light a (ire that night or next morning. Witness slept at the house for about three nights, and on New Year's Eve he lit the lire. After that he did not sleep in the house, and the last time he was in the house was on January 0, the evening before the fire took place. His object in going to the house on the evening of January G was to cut the lawn, but while there he had a shave, and used the gas-ring to heat some water. Witness left the house about a quarter to eight. He stayed at a friend's house all night, and he was in bed when he heard the alarm of lire. He went to the fire, and when he entered the house the lire had a good hold. The house was gutted and the furniture was damaged. The furniture was insured for £IOO in the State Office, and the policy was originally taken out at Wanganui. He valued his furniture at £l3O, and he did not think the value of the furniture before the fire could be ascertained from its condition after the fire. Mr. Petty, a furniture dealer, gave witness an estimate that the furniture immediately before the fire was worth £O4 Bs, and after the fire £0 19s Od. He had made a claim on the State office for loss under the policy, and in this he put the value of the'furnitui'c before the fire at £152 2s, or £B7 14s more than Mr. iPetly's valuation. He had Mr. Petty's valuation in his possession when he made his claim. With the exception of two mattresses and some pillows, which they lent to a friend, nothing was removed from the house during his occupancy of it. ~ Thomas Petty, a furniture dealer, corroborated the valuations of the furniture as given by the previous witness.

To Mr. Johnstone: Witness did not value personal effects. Kenneth B. Bain, manager for the State Fire Insurance Office in New Plymouth, said he received a claim from Wooldridge under his policy, and in the claim his property was valued at £152 2s. 'ln December the property was inspected by an officer of the State Fire Department. To Mr. Johnstone: The officer's valus was £l7O.

Leonard Stohr, a chemist at Xew Plymouth, said he lived close to the house in which the fire occurred, and being called on the morning of the fire? he looked* over the fence and saw smoke coming from the wash-house. Later witness gave the alarm of fire. It seemed clear that the fire originated in the wash-house.

Frederick 0. J. Belliinger, superintendent of the Fire Brigade, gave evidence respecting the brigade's call to the fire. After the fire was extinguished witness made an inspection and found that the seat of the fire was in the wash-house, which was attached to the main building. On the floor of the wash-house he found a hole about three feet square burned through. He formed the opinion that the fire started inside the wash-, house, and spread over the rest of the building. There was a good seven feet between the hole burned in the floor and the copper. Round the seat of the fire there were the charred remains of drapery and wicker-ware. The house appeared to witness to have been scantily furnished, and he estimated its value before the fire at about £GO.

To Mr. Johnstone: Witness made no detailed examination of the furniture. The Coroner said the evidence made it clear that the fire originated in the wash-house, but there was no evidence as to the cause of the fire. His verdi«<t was to that effect.