TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1621, 28 February 1884, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Auckland, Wednesday. A fire occurred, early this morning in a two storey building at Parnell. The lower portion was occupied by Briggs, a bootmaker, and the upper portion as a boarding house by Ciirtcn, The fire spread with great rapidity, the building being of wood, but all inmates excepting -a young man named Michael Hogan, succeeded in escaping. Daniel •Reevy, another boarder, states that he was awakened by cries of fire, and jumping out of bed opened the window, but-encountered such suffocating clouds of smoke that be was Obliged to retreat,

He heard Hogan who occupied the adjoining room, call out, but ho to unable to render aid. His opinion was that the unfortunate mail lost his presencn of mind, and instead of attempting to get out at the window, strove to make his way down stairs, and was suffocated by smoke. Recvy tied a blanket to his bed post and thus reached the street, After the lire had been partially got under the skeleton of a man horribly burned was found amidst the burning debris, and there is little reason to doubt that it is Hogan. When the fire brigade arrived the Superintendent refused to interfere alleging that his orders were not to act beyond the limits of the city, on account of the action of the Insurance Companies in refusing to make (any contribution to the expenses of the brigade when working at the late fire at Mount Eden, also beyond the limits of tlio city. They expressed their willingness to give the .Salvage Corps what advice was in their power to take steps for-suppressing the fire, and also allowed the use of the brigade pumps. The fire spread up the street to Mrs Kevitt's house, which was speedily destroyed, and Neill's house adjoining was gutted. Slater's residence below the boarding house was also gutted, The total damage is stated Hogan arrived hero by the Doric and was employed at the gasworks.,