FIRES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2611, 20 September 1909, Page 3

FIRES.

-ALARMING SERIES OF OUTBREAKS. Latterly, Gisborne has achieved a somewhat unenviable notoriety, on account of the number of fires which have occurred in a comparatively short period, but the culminating point was reached on Saturday night and yesterday morning, when four separate alarms were given, and a fifth outbreak was discovered, which, being speedily extinguished, necessitated no alarm being given. , The first alarm was sounded short;}' before 7 p.m., and a glare was observable in. the direction of -Aberdeen Road. Something of a sensation was caused when it was stated that the public hospital was on fire, but, fortunately, although the alarm was given from that institution, it was only a chimney ablaze. The Eire Brigade turned out smartly, but when they had reached Roebuck Road they were informed that the fire was out, and they returned to town. At 9.45 p.m. another alarm _ was sounded, and this time the outbreak was in that old building known as Tharratt’s stables, situate m Childers Road, opposite the Masonic Hall. The fire was first noticed bv a lady passing by, who informed Mr. Friar, and the alarm was given, and Mr. Tharratt aroused. There was a plentiful supply of -water available, and a few bucketfuls extinguished 'the flames before the arrival of the Brigade. The stables at the time of the fire, were unoccupied, but until recently they have been tenanted by a- carrier. The police wc-re on the scene shortly after the alarm was sounded, and the opinion was expressed that the fire was the result of wilful incendiarism. There is another theory, however, which was put forward, which may account for the outbreak. The premises have frequently been occupied by men in a state of intoxication, who from time to time have been removed by the police, and it is surmised that possibly one of these individuals may have been there and carelessly dropped a match. 1 he building is owned by Air. I. llall, and is insured in the Northern Office 101 AM 50. The third outbreak was in Carnarvon Street. At 3.35 a.m. yesteiday morning, Constable Johnston and Al,r. yy. Fraser, night-watchman, were together at the too end of Gladstone Road, when both" smelt smoke, as if something was burning. They shortly discovered the fire in a four-roomed cottage in Carnarvon Street, owned by Mrs. Tutehen, and occupied by Air. -Joseph Suelgar and family. On the alarm being given, the Brigade were promptly on the scene, and this time their services were called into requisition. By the time they arrived, however, the flames had a good strong hold, and nothing but the most strenuous efforts on the part of the firemen prevented a large conflagration and the ; almost certain destruction of several : houses. Great credit is duo to the Brigade in connection with this fire, i as they succeeded in confining the out- ; break: to the one house, although the houses on either side were only a few feet distant. The building was par- . tially destroyed by fire, and naturally the contents were much damaged by water. At the time of the outbreak the tenants of the house were away from home. Air. Suelgar, who is in the emnloy of Mr. Colley, was understood to be at Patutahi, Mrs. Suelgar was staying at AVhataupoko, and some of the children were at a neighbor’s residence. The origin of the outbreak is at present a mystery, but Airs. Suc!gar attribute,s it to the presence of rats, which may have got at some matches. The contents of the house were insured in the South British Office for i £l5O. _ ' i Twenty minutes later, at 3.55 a.m., a fourth alarm was sounded. On this occasion the outbreak was only a small one, and occurred at the back of the small double-storey shop and dwelling opposite Air. John Colley’s timber yard in Gladstone Road. The house is occupied by Air. Thos. Day, who at the time had got up and gone out to the Carnarvon- Street fire a few minutes previously. In the upstairs portion his little girl was left sleeping, and her screams on- discovering the fire attracted the attention of her father, who was then returning to the house. He found that two or three weather hoards at the rear of the building had, by some mysterious means, become ig-

nited, but by means of a few buckets of water he was able to extinguish the flames. The Brigade again turned out smartly, having just got back to the station, but their services were unnecessary. The damage done was very slight, and it is understood that thero was no insurance.

The fifth outbreak, for which no alarm was sounded, undoubtedly presents a most sinister aspect, and points strongly to incendiarism. Had it not been for the presence and prompt action of Constable Johnston, a serious cnflagration must have ensued. He was returning down Gladstone Road at 4.5 a.m., from Carnarvon Street, and when passing the premises of the Cooperative Bakery Company (late Hailey’s), he noticed a glare coming from the back of the building. On investigation, the constable found- a quantity of clothing saturated with some kind of oil piled against a lean-to, and ablaze. He speedily obtained some water, and pulling the burning clothes away, succeeded in extinguishing the flames, which were just obtaining a hold of the wall ,of .'the lean-to. A few moments later and a. big fire would have been a certainty, as the building was an old one, and as dry as tinder. As it was, little damage was done beyond the destruction of an old bc-x, which stood against The wall, and a little charring of the weather boards. When he had extinguished the flames, Constable Johnston aroused Mr. Hailey, who lives on the premises. Air. Hailey camo out into the yard and pointed out the place from which the clothes had been taken at the hack of the yard, and also the oil, which was used: for varnishing, and kept in another part of the back premises. The numerous outbreaks, all within a small circle, have caused a distinct feeling of uneasiness in town, and it is strongly felt that in some cases at least the fire has been the work of an incendiary.