FIRE AT GREYTOWN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4980, 20 March 1895, Page 3

FIRE AT GREYTOWN.

£I,OOO WORTH OF PROPERTY DESTROYED. OBSTRUCTION or F.H. WOOD'S AUCTION ROOMS AND HKBLEY'S BOOT WAREHOUSE. (From Our Own Correspondent). Gkeytowx, Wednesday. J • Shortly after 2 a.in, this morning Greytown was aroused from slumber by the ringing of the fire bells, l'he fire engines, together with the Brigades were quickly on the spot, tjkhiuli proved to be Mr J. Hebley's xßot and shoe warehouse, fruit shop and dwelling house, which stood in the centre of a block of buildings. The first persons on the spot observed flames issuing from the ceiling of one of the upstairs rooms. The premises were a two-storey structure, and the inmates had just sufficient time to escape in their night dresses, not having a chance to save any of their belongings from the upstairs rooms, The flames spread rapidly, and Boon tho whole building was a vast burning mass. A little of tho furni--0 ture and part of a trunk of boots was saved. Fortunately it was a calm morning, but had it been otherwise there is not the slightest doubt but- that the whole of the block of buildings in the vicinity from Mr Bauera 1 drapery establishment to the Working Men's Club would have been destroyed. The heat was intense, and it was only through the iron roof on Mr Day's residence and ornamental trees surrounding it that his place mk saved. . "The Brigade which was now working under difficulties through the scarcity of water in the Borough well, had to turn their attention to saving Mr F, H. Wood's auction rooms. Immediately an army of willing hands worked like Trojans, removing the stock from the rooms, The force of water was not strong enough to cope with the fiery elements and intense heat, and in spite of the Brigades' best efforts, the building soon became a prey to the fire, t By some means a poor dog became wedged in behind one of the counters, and as the flames crept nearer and nearer to the poor animal in its critical position, its howling became extremely pitiful, until the fierce tire put au end to ifs miseries. Messrs Macfarlane, Tate, and Hillier, fearing that the fire would cross the road, removed most of their valuables to a place of safety. Both Mr Hebley and Mr Wood are heavy losers |fc)ie insurances are as follows : Eroley's, honse and shop (Standard) £300; stock and furniture (Imperial) £175; stock (Victoria) £IOO, total £575. Mr Hebley estimates his loss at £2OO. He intends to recrect the building almost immediately, as ho is now without house or home. His niece (a visitor from Wellington) who had intended returning home to-day, lost all her ■ belongings. The only reasons Mr Hebley can give for the origin of the firo is, that when his wife was attending one of the children suffering from toothache, during tho night, she may have left a candle | burning near the wall, or that when his chimney caught fire last night, a spark may have ignited the shingles. The insurances on Mr Wood's premises wereOn buildings, £250 (South British), and stock £2OO. Nearly the whole of the stock was saved but about £2OO worth of Massey-Harris extras, were destroyed, there being no insurance on them. Mr Wood has just recently advanced over £2OO cash on afcrge quantity of Langstone's ParisWude, which means a big loss, The buildings originally cost £450 to build, so Mr Wood is a heavy loser, He estimates his loss at between £2OO aud £3OO. The premises are to be re-erected immediately,