Destructive Fires.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5197, 12 September 1885, Page 2

Destructive Fires.

(Pjee Pbess Association.) Wellington, This day.

Shortly before Q o'clock yesterday morning a Are broke out in a building knovrn as the "Empire Buildings," and owned by the Northern Land, Loan, and Building Company. The downstairs part of the building is occupied by J. Dempsey (tailor), Elliott and Co. (bootmaker), and E. j. Hill (hatter), and the tjpst^irs portion was sub-divided into offices, but most of them were untenanted. It is supposed that the fire broke out in the back room attached to Dempsey's sh>p, and at ODce spread through the whole building, and before the fire brigade succepded ju 6u^duiog the flames, the building wiag thoroughly gutted. JQempsey's stock was of oourge destroyed, and KUiotj; and Cq.'h large stock has been seriously damaged by water. Hill succeeded in removing hii stock with but Jittle damage. The papers in the offices upstairs occupied by Messrs Tuill and Cronin, and J. Smith, were destroyed. The Empire Hotel, which adjoins the buildings destroyed, had a ?e?y narrow escape, and at one time the pantry attached to the fcote), was on fire. JDeojpsey js a heavy fosep, as he wag not insured. The others were insured, fajit toe amounts hare not yet been ascertained. ?he o*igtt> of ( *be #re V> surrounded jn mystery, bjit it is thought Dempsey must hajre left a fir,e burning. " • * LIT^IB.

The following are the insurances pa && fire? —?]»• buildings >ere jo-

sured Jin the Colonial for £2250, which was re-insure! as follows : £250 in the Imperial, £500 in tbe London and Lancashire, £300 in the Standard. £200 in the Australian Mercantile Union, and £500 in the Phe»nix. Elliott's stock was insured for £500 in the Manchester, and £1200 in the Colouial, the latter having re-insured to the full amount as follows: United, £250, Hanseatic £350, Tictoria £250, and National £350. Napier, This day. The residence of A. C. Laing, of the firm of Murray, Roberts, and. Co, at Hastings, was totally destroyed by firo yes terday, the occupants barely escaping in their night-clothes. The origin of the fire is supposed to be due to a defective chimney. The house was insured in the Colonial offioe for £300, and the furni i ture for £100 in the North British.

A house owned and occupied by John Sweeney, at Pukahu, was burnt on Wednesday night. The house and furniture were insured in the South British for £200. The origin of the fire is unknown.