INQUIRY INTO THE LATE FIRE AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 868, 11 December 1877, Page 2

INQUIRY INTO THE LATE FIRE AT HAMILTON.

Ow Saturday last; an inquest on th© fire, Sy which, at Hamilton on the night of the 27th ult., the workshop in connection with the new Bank buildings was destroyed, was held before Dr Beale (Coroner), and a jay consisting rf tho following srentle-nm, nain>ly—^Messrs J...--D Ri ! (Porema«i), jav Hume, F. B; Vi.-.lou, Jas. Richat'd Grffirnne, N. It. Cox, G. Browne, J. M. Gellinor. R. Ir.md, T. Tr«»e. tv i eeler, W. Jones, and . Robert Peat. J. COX, tim^-kfiftp^r, wan sworn ind d«i»o'«(| t» havins: lrmlc^d up he buiM : n;^ abnifc five o'clock on h^ div of fih«* ni'fht of th» firp. an! • mv nif.s^n no sij-n of fire at that ' ime. He r>a>^i<Milarlv Inokvd a: ! he firtj-p'aoj ; it w\s of riok. h\x4 give (to id. ft ijow th« fire

originated, unless from the.firepl.ice used for melting- gluo. EDWARD MESSAGE imposed to be-ng contractor for the n<-w huUjcHngs, nnd to having er^oted a at fhe rear of same As s^6rphsp (the building destroyed), along with previous |rttnii^ when he looked up the place ||M 5 ||*!t. . The witness gave it as |(g option that the fire was the At the time of jgUgprup the prAnrses fchere were ifpTOgns of fire. The conditions of the contract compelled infuintmia, rHe *fT>lic<pn one office he! 1 good *t the time, and was mt %w*f»e't of hi* ag*nfc In Auokland having insured irt^^th^^^^c^^tCT give no reliable inforraatioh as to ota.se of fire,- unless it«OM^ih>tt«l*froiii the < fire-place, wKiahH hXd probably been us^d ;for;^jinqfe; ri piiiti>9Be Juri.tf the d*y« ; jiß»c>r.e^ were/shavings about, butvno^reat quantity. ; WI LLI AM- o Jißr'cWpaneef, d*-w6rk-on|tfie premises burned on the day of the fii«e v r .Tlie p^her men had to the races. Si w no sign of fire when he, left at five o'clork. The plasterers had used the fi re-place-to make some tea hob during the^Uyr.. ; He bad haird that fflae hid been melted later in the d^y, •ut w<is not aware of his own knowledge of anyone iwinuf .the fire lor that purpose. '^Iwplii.nbar be>t^d hi^ irdn ia nai!,prtn oots^e fti^r ireraises, and kept; his toojla inside thel building. r ;n ,« w BDWA xD McaAaOLB, s.oreresiding io Hamilton, deposed to seeing a glare of fire from iiis ? back kitchen at about eleven o'clock and to going outride in comp^ny with David Elliott, and seeing a fife within the building. It was of small size, and could have easily nean - put-out "tad tMr been ap- • '!j^^ at hand. .He shouted %i Fire j" and trie I to open the doors f'or the purpose of putting out the dre;- The doors were locked »hd he «:unld not He broke them in with a pteco of ;-;Cv»Btliiig, but could not -nter as the snioke and flame were too strong. The. building «ind coutenfa' were destroyed in less than halt-an-hourarid there Was no ch-inoe of saving 'anything. The jiry returned a verdict » that no evidence of the o.igin of said tire loth not appear to said jar^rs.'- v ',-.r..-\-\- , • j. •■., s■; . f