FIRES IN MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8250, 3 October 1906, Page 5

FIRES IN MASTERTON.

A Are broke out in a wash-house attaob°d to the residence of Mr J. La Roche, in Cole Street, about 11 o'clock, ye3terday morning. Mrs La Roche was working in the washhouse, which is also used as a store-house for wall-papers and painters' requisites, and she left her work tc look over some samples of wall-paper which a traveller was sbowing Mr La Roche. During her absence it is surmised that a spark from the copper fire ignited some paper, for when she came back to the wash-house some rolls of paper and the ceiling were on Are. The inmates of the house together with the traveller and <some neighbours removed the wall-paper from th© room. The Fire Brigade and Fire Police arrived promptly, and the flames were soon extingujshed. The ceiling'of the wash-house was damaged to soma extent, and about £4 or £5 worth of wall paper and a valuable bicycle were destroyed. An eight-roomed house in Ball Street, belonging to, Mr S. J. P. Alpass, and occupied by Mr R. K. Jackson, solicitor, was gutted by Are about nice o'olock last evening. Tbe fire originated in a bedroom. One or Mr Jackson's daughters left a candle burning in the room and went to the kitchen. On returning shortly afterwards she found the room in flames. In a very short time the flames were bursting out from every portion of the house. Mr Jaokson had just retired to bed, and Mrs Jaokson was engaged in giving a pupil a music lesson in the front room when the fire occurred. The inmates had just time to escape from ! the burning building When tbe Fire Brigade arrived on the scene it J was seen that it Wuuid be impossible j to save anything from the house, i The building was completely gutted. None of tbe furniture, which included a very valuable piano, was saved. SMr Jaekson is a very heavy loser, as the furniture was uninsured. Tbe building was insured, but in what office, and to wbat amount, could not be ascertained last evening. The alarms of fire yesterday were the first received by the Brigade for tbree months.