FIRES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1562, 28 September 1886, Page 4

FIRES.

Shortly • after ll o’clock on Friday Bight at Auckland ,a four-roomed cottage whs destroyed by fire, and a five year sou of Mr C. E. Madden, solicitor, was* burnt to death. (Jhae. Wright succeeded ju carrying out two children, and Mrs Madden took out one child. Mrs Madden, who w esin a perfect frenzy, not knowing of the safety of the other two, attempted to go batik into the house, but was prevented by Wright. The |atter madd an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate to (he room .where the child was sleeping, b'it the whole house was in flames. Mrs Madden. was in a state of hysteria, and it was found necessary to convey her to the hospital. The body of William Samuel, ' the third son, aged five years presented a terrible spectacle, but it was clear that death, had been caused by suffocation. . The eldest boy, aged eight, said that the fire qrose fromthe explosion of a kerosene lamp in the bedroom, which set fire to the bed-clothes. The building was insdreiFfor £l2O in the Colonial Office, There is no insurance on the furniture. Mr Madden was staying »t his mother’s hoqpe, and knew nothing of the occurrence till all was over. The fire in Colombo street, Christchurch, burned three shops— Fletcher, tailor ; Silvester, basketmaker ; Longur-t, hair- ' dresser—and seriously damaged the roof of Garrick and Cowhsliaw's solicitor’s office. It began in Silvester’s kitchen about 10.15, and was apparently caused by cords, fulling from a fire left burning io the i:rate. Only one steam fire engine 1 v-ms others being laid up i: ; rc.v.iis. Ivuntly before midnight the lire Ki'Mir.’d imcier coatrol, but at ten ii;irip>:*)• ; . eive it broke out afresh \i-‘ iji.■ r;cn;..ivmi .Cowlisbaw’s roof and was i r ti. Tjy subdued till 2.30 a.m. AH !■■■■•! v.-KUntdo i ccumeiVs incise office were ♦ pn-4>!V:-;l. Of Fieiclier’a stock, worth ob'.-ut £SO-09, bid £7od worth was saved, bl vestt r’s sipek and furniture were mostly destroyed. Of 1-ongu t’s stock and fittings (uninsured), a large portion vas saved. * All the buildings belonged t? the estate of the late Mr Isaac Luck. The telegraph by e passed close to the burning .buildugs* - ,The northern telegraph wires aid favgral telephone wires were interrupted, bat communication has bow been‘restoicd. The insurances on Garrick and Cowlishaw’s > buildings arc £IOOO in-the-Noiwicb Union ; stock and furniture, £IOOO in the New Zealand office ; Fletcher’s buildings, £6OO in the New Zealand and £2OO in 'he South British ; £IOOO of this is re-insured. Silvester’s build ..g, £3O) in the Norwich Union; stock and fur. are, £2OO in the Equitable, £25 io the Colonial; lionguet’s building, £3OO in the New Zealand. The stock of tweeds in Fletcher’s building, belonging to Mr W. G. Kemp, and destroyed, was insured for £2OO in the United Office. Another fire occored in Christchurch on Friday. An old wooden building, pari of which was used as stables by Mr F. W. Delamain and part as a blacksmith’s shop by Messrs Harper and White was destroyed. The fire originated in the. stables, but Low it is not known. The building was situated in the same block as those burnt down the previous night. ; It belonged to Capt. Stephen Fisher, and was insured iu National gffitie for £2OO. '