The Featherston Fire.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4732, 29 May 1894, Page 3

The Featherston Fire.

The Enquiry. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Tuesday. The inquest into the late fire at Mr Bock's goodshed, was held yesterday, before Mr T. Hutchison, Coroner, and ilic following jury :—Messrs Toogootl (foreman.) W. Hodder, W. Gilpin, C. C'nndy, ,1. Mi-Lead and J. llnrr. Mr Izard watched the proceedings for Messrs Bidwill Bros. The first-witness called was Ernest Cox, carrier, in the employ of Mr Bock, who deposed that it was part of his duty to see to the shed being locked and all right in the evening. The last lime he was at the shed was on the evening of the 14th insl., when he was over there about 7.o'clock. He had taken Mr Bock's buggy to the station for him, as he (Mr Bock) had been in Wellington all day and caineup by the evening irain. The doors were always East, cned on the inside, as well as the out. Inside they had a loop, staple and a pin ; while outside they hail chains and padlocks. He was awakened just about midnight by the alarm of (ire, and found the shed in Ihunes. He did not hold with the theory of spontaneous combustion. Thellaxhiid been coining in since October last. I

Mitchell Tait, carrier, in the employ of Mr Bock, gave evidence as to having carted in all the flax from Messrs Bidwill's mill.lt was always uniformly dry. lie sasl saw the place on the evening of the 11th, at about o.!W, when everything seemed all righ]. J. C'hcescmau deposed that shortly before midnight on the 14th inst he and some others were sitting talking in the Umpire Hotel preparatory to rctiringfor Hie night, when Mr It. J. McLean came up and informed them that Bock's shed was on lire. He and McLean were the first over there; they tried theoDice door, ami found it locked, so McLean burst it oiH'ii with a rail. Managed to get some books and papers and platform of the scales out when they had to retire, as they had no lights. When they first got to the building the smoke was coming from a point a little way from the southend. ■■

1!. J, McLean deposed that shortly before Vlf past eleven on the night in question lie left the Empire Hotel in company with n friend, He had not gone far when it began to brighten. He thought it was the moon, but on looking back saw llames shooting out of the shed from the s.w. corner, He saw the building a little while before, ami there was no smoke issuing from it then. He ran hack and informed those at the Empire of the lire. He and Cheeseman were the first there. They got what books iind papers tlioy could, but the flames forced them out of the building. Mr W. Bock deposed that the late shed washis. He hud had it five years, lie slated how the flax had been stowed and said that there were 820 bales, 13 tons of coal, a truck of wool and skins, and some minor things in the shed at the time of the lire, The (lax was the property of Messrs Bidwill Bros; the wool and skins the property of Messrs Jiidwill andF. Pearee. From estimates received, it would cost over £IOO to build the shed without, office fittings, ft was insured for C 250 in the Phomix Ollice, the policy being taken out witli MrH. H. Wolters, of Carterton, some two years ago. This amount covered the stables adjoining. He did not hold with (hetheory of spontaneous combustion. Had anyone prised one of the doors open :i little at the south end and had n lighted pipe, or dropped a lighted match, they might have fired the things, He did not go to the shed on the night of his return from Wellington. Had perfect confidence in his two men. Had the llax been heating he would have noticed a strong smell at times. •Mr John Bidwill deposed (hat the flax was the property of Messrs Bidwill Bros,, and that 'there was an insurance of £ls per ton on it, It was a floatiug policy, and notice had to be given before (he fibre could be moved from the shed. The policy was for twelve mouths. The lias was stowed in Bock's shed for safe keeping, in anticipation of n rising markef. The market value of llax at the time the policy was effected was from £ls to £l7 per ton. He was informed til about Ihree on the morning of the lire by a special messenger of the occurrence. Next day Mr Gale came up from Wellington. _ ' Mr Izard here informed the Coroner that the insurance was effected by Mr W. Bidwill, but that'the price of insur. ancc of £ls per toii was put on by Mr Gale, of Johnston & Co., who are agent for the London and Lancashire Office. After a short deliberation the jury returned an open verdict, there being no evidence to show how the fire originated.