FIRE AT MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 157, 12 May 1879, Page 2

FIRE AT MASTERTON.

On Saturday evening last two small houses situated in Villa-street, Masterton, were burnt. They belonged to Mr Joseph lorns, Captain of our local Fire Brigade, and Mr Hutton, overseer, of roads within the Masterton Borough, The fire originated in the kitchen of Mr Hutton's dwelling, an ordinary four-room cottage, but how it originated it is impossible to say, as both Mi' and Mrs Hutton were away, and the house was locked up, Mrs Hutton was away nursing, and Mr Hutton was in the town shopping. Mrs lorns, who was at home in the adjoining house, 4 was the first to discover the (ire and to give the alarm. Villa-street is on a rising ground about half-a-mile from the Main-street, and it did not take many minutes for every person in the town to find out that thero was a fire, and it was very easy to see where it was.

M, Caselberg and Co.'s. alarm bell was ruiig. and the firo engine was got out promptly and dragged up to Villa-street. This was rather laborious and uphill work, and five minutes before the engine reached the spot the ilames from Mr Hutton's house, fanned by a brisk wind, ignited Mr lorns' premises, which were but a few feet > away. Before the engine arrived there were plenty of people, plenty of water, and plenty of buckets available, but the heat prevented water being thrown by the hand on to the exposed side of Mr lorns 1 house. Everything, however, that was in the house was moved out of danger. When the engine arrived, Mr Hutton's. house was practically burnt down, and all that was in it destroyed, and Mr lorns' house was a. mass of flames. Two fair streams of water were at once brought to bear on the latter, back and front, and in about a quarter of an hour the engine conquered the fire, and in a few more minutes put it completely out. The building, however, is not now of much value, the studs, the roof, and lining boards containing more charcoal than wood. Still it was satisfactory for the Brigade to have been able to have dragged their engine half-a-mile, and then put a burning building out, Mr lorns and Mr Hutton are insured in the National, the former for £l5O, and the latter fo l ' £l5O. The loss of each might be fairly estimated at about £250. We sorry to learn that a lodger at Mr Hutton's, Mr Edward Grant, lost £4O in bank notes by the lire. This sum was in his chest, and represented, we bolievo, his savings,