Fire at Karaka Road.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3108, 3 February 1879, Page 2

Fire at Karaka Road.

< A destructive fire broke out in Karaka

road on Sunday morning shortly after 1 o'clock in a small grocery store kept by a jwidow named Campbell. It appears that Mrs Campbell did not retire to rest till late on .Saturday night, being detained in conversation by a brother and friend. Shortly before. 12 o'clock she retired to rest, before doing so extinguishing the embers in the fire place with water. The only other persons on the.premises were Mrs Campbell's child, and a nurse girl. About an hour after retiring to rest the widow was aroused by the smell of burning, and saw flames issuing from the shop. Awaking the girl and snatching up her child, she ran out of her dwelling without making an attempt to save anything else. She was so much shocked that she could but giro a feeble alarm. The house was by this time blazing through the roof, and the fire was noticed by Mr Cartwright, the night watchman, at Grahamitown, and by Mr Geo. Cooper at the Karaka bridge, both about the same time. Mr James Finlay ringing the Grahamstown bell and Mr Cooper the Kartka bridge bell. The alarm at Shortland was sounded shortly afterwards, and soon the frightened citizen! were to be seen issuing from their dwellings and hurrying to the scene of the fire, which now illuminated the surrounding hills, and cait a bright glare over the eastern ,; Bky. Long before the brigades arrived scores of willing hands were at work carrying water from the race to pour on the flames, Messrs Nicks, H. Hayes, T. Andrews, J. WalkerVjunr., JFoy, G. Cooper, & Brown, Muljins and others being conspicuous in their praise worthyendeavors to cbeok the progress of the flames. The heat was so intense that it was feared the buildings on the opposite side of the street would catch tire, and Mr Uiggings, butcher, and others kept' their premises covered with" wet blankets. The wood-work of these ; buildings was so hot that a spark might hare created another blaze, All this was of little use howerer, and the cottage next door, the property of Mr Deeble, was also at the mercy of ,ihe fire. This cottage, it will be remembered,'was the cause of a Court case between Mr Deeble and O'Neill, the former .owner, the latter having to surrender' it through placing his estate in the Bankruptcy Court. The property was purchased by Mr Deeble, but O'Neill continued to reside in the house against Mr Deeble's will. The cottage occupied by Mr Hugh Fisher, blacksmith, and family, next fell to the flames. Most of his furniture was saved, but some of it was considerably damaged by the haste used in removal. Next Fisher's cottage there was a vacant space, and beyond this a cottage occupied by a miner named Glasson, and to arrest the flames this building was pulled down and carried piecemeal across the street. While pulling the roof of this building out of the'way of the flames, Constable Day and some others fell, and had a narrow escape from the roof being pulled over them. Fireman Basham of the Grahamstown Brigade, while climbing a fence, cut his lip rather severely. A strong westerly breeze was blowing, and George's butcher's shop was also threatened, and would also have beej^consumed, had it not been for the courageous exertions of Mr S. Young and others, who mounted the roof of the house and douched the roof with buckets full of water passed from hand to hand by the crowd in the street. The building caught fire three times, and the heat from the other burning,houses wan almost unbearable; but still those on the roof fought bravely against it, and the fire subsiding a little, the building was! saved. Then the Fire Brigades got their: appliances to work, and speedily got the now declining conflagration under subjection, and the crowd, seeing all danger over, began to disperse. Shortly after two o'clock the flames again burse out, but were extinguished by the neighbors. Sergt. Mulrille and other members of the police force worked hard, and amongst those civilians who' especially distinguished themselves, Messrs Young, Wilson, Brown, and Newman deserve praise. Fire Inspector Price, and Superintendentsliollis and Price were at the fire, and did their best to arrest the progress of the conflagration. At one time a tragical rumor was flying through the crowd to the effect that an infant had been left in one of the burning houses; this, bowever had no foundation in truth. Mrs Campbell, fortunately, »was insured a few weeks ago for £250 in the Norwich Union, but lost £25 in cash which she intended to pay over to her wholesale dealer this morning, and besides that a number of her deceased husband's medals, jewellery, etc. None of the others were insured.

FUBTHEB FABIICULABB. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed at the action of a certain member of the-police force causing the hotel near the fire to be cleared. Although it was after hours a little latitude might hare

been allowed to those whose (hirst was accelerated by their exertions and the heat to which they had been exposed. It is currently rumored that there are suspicious circumstances connected with the fire, which it ia understood will be made.the subject of an inquiry.