FIRES IN MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2797, 13 January 1888, Page 2

FIRES IN MASTERTON.

As if to demonstrate the necessity of a more efficient water supply, whether it be Mr Renall's or someone else's, alarms of fire are becoming very frequent, there having been no less than four fires in Masterton during the last 24 hours. The hell was first rung at a quarter to six o'clock last night, but as if to indicate no imminent danger the peal was both feeble and short, . However, the signal soon brought out a number of firemen and the public, and a rush to the back of the Bank of Australasia • Queen-street, revealed the fire in the shape of a burning rubbish box, close to the wall, which had already been pretty well extinguished by Mr Brobin, tailor, who had responded to an alarm given by Miss Smith, of the Bank. A few more buckets of water, therefore, soon put out the flames. The second alarm was a more serious one, and the bell's tones were correspondingly more portentous, It seems that Mr and Mrs F. W. Temple who live at their shop in Queen-street, had gone to Mr, Glover's Temperance meeting, leaving the. servant girl at home, in charge'of the children, who were iu bed. The girl after attending to the little ,ones apparently left a lighted candle standing on their bedroom, table, and this, communicating with the toilet-glass drape, and thence to the window curtains, soon had the corner of the room in a blaze. The fire was first noticed outside by Messrs R, Bannister, G. F. Mansell, and R. Thompson, and there is no doubt that it was only their quick and sensible action which saved the premises from destruction. Upon seeing the glare through the window they at once hurried across the street and went upstairs, .where they found the servant maid screaming, and • the room suffocatingly full of smoke. One of the gentlemen named immediately rescued the ohildrenfrom their beds and took them across to the Prince of Wales Hotel for safety, while the others took vigorous and successful measures to subdue the flames, the.whole corner, ■including the scrim and paper being by this time in a blaze. A brisk application of water and of rugs so as to smother the burning portion, soon had the fire out. Mr and Mrs Temple returned from the Temperance Meeting while the operations were iu progress, and were naturally much alarmed, first for the safety of their children, and then of their home. The damage is estimated at about £l6 or £2O, Mr Temple was insured. The fire occurred at half-past nine. Both Fire Brigades were promptly on the spot and they, in fact, made the smartest turn out: of the season. The Jubilee took up its stand in Ban-muster-street, whore an adequate supply of water was obtainable by the use of; the sluices in the creek. ■„■ We have been asked to draw attention to an unpleasantness, which occurred, between the Fire Brigades on the journey back from the fire. It appears that the Municipal Brigade's hose was lying across,the street and the Volunter Fire Brigade unnecessarily ran across it, knocking down a man who.tried toprotects, and .who retaliated by using his branch across the offender's shoulder, We refer to this without comment, feeling that such an occurrence is quitethe exception-; and now that it hasbeennoticed will, probably, in future, be avoided. A third and a fourth fire havo yet to be recorded. .The more serious of these happened simultaneously with the fire at Mr Temple's, and while people were hurrying towards Temple's Shop, the inmates of Mr W.' Darvill's Avgyle Boarding House, opposite the Occidental Hotel, were busy combating ' with a fire which had started in their baggage room, and which, after a short but severe struggle, was put out, It seems that during the absence of Mr Darvill, whowas at the Post Office getting his evening's mail, someone went into the storeroom, and either dropped a lighted match, or set, the place on fire.. At any rate, it was shortly after found in flames, as described above, The damage was trifling,. .■ ■■ ''"' ; slie last alavm w to to record

was for a chimney fire at Mr S. H. Wiokerson's house in Chapel-street at half-past nine o'clock this"morning. The bell fang, and a number of firemen were quiokly in attendance, ex-' tinguishing the incipient outbreak; with a bucket of water.