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A fire, resulting in total destruction of property valued at £500 and a large quantity of valuable goods, occurred at Rushden, on Tuesday night. The building was situated about the middle of High-street, near the Coffee Tavern, and belonged to Mr. Wm. Pendered, Wellingborough, and was occupied by Mr. W. J. Burrows, machinist, and others. It was a one-storeyed thatched erection, and at various times had been used as a chapel, a school, and a barn, but several years ago was divided by wooden partitions and converted into several shops. Mr. Burrows occupied the middle part of it, and Mr. Thomas Eady, butcher, Higham Ferrers, Mr. William Bollard, greengrocer, and Mr. Moore, Wellingborough, rented portions of the building from Mr. Burrows. At a little after ten on Tuesday night Mr. John Darnell when passing the premises thought he saw indications of fire, and on going round he found the back part of Mr. Burrows's premises in flames, and immediately sent information to the Fire Brigade, who, directed by Mr. F. Knight, were on the spot about ten minutes afterwards. By this time the flames, owing to the old woodwork in the building, and the heavy, dry, and well seasoned thatched roof being very easily ignited, had made considerable headway. Water was obtained from the wells in the neighbourhood, and a number of willing hands carried it in buckets to the engine. In close proximity to the burning building, but not connected with it, was a thatched house occupied by Mr. Bollard and Mr. Gilbert, and as this was in imminent danger, the firemen promptly soaked the roof with water to prevent the sparks from igniting it. Spreading with great rapidity, the fire in twenty minutes after it had been discovered had seized upon almost every part of Mr. Burrows's premises. Through the exertions of some of the large number of spectators that had by this time arrived, several sewing machines, and a washing and mangling machine were saved. It was evident, however, that the utmost exertions on the part of the Fire Brigade and others could not save the tenement. The flames had got too secure a hold of it, and the roof fell in in the course of an hour after the outbreak was discovered. Parts of the wall, which were of stone, fell in soon afterwards. On the opposite side of the street there is a large thatched tenement, in the occupation of Mr. Wright, baker, and Mr. Knight, and this was for some time in great danger, but the firemen also saved it. Mr. J. Martin, Manager of the Coffee Tavern, noticing that that building was in danger, took the necessary precautions against the flames, and had a wooden shed adjoining it pulled down. So rapid was the spread of the flames, that the building was completely gutted in an hour after the fire broke out, but the flames were not extinguished until one o'clock, and the ruins remained smouldering until Wednesday morning. In Mr. Burrows's front shop were a number of sewing machines and fittings, bicycles, silk, thread, shuttles, &c., and the back shop—used as a shoe shop—contained 10 dozen pairs of shoes, which were destroyed. Although the spectators rescued some of the larger machines from destruction, a great number of small and valuable articles have been lost. Mr. Burrows estimated his whole stock as worth £140, and of this only about £20 worth has been saved. His stock was insured for £100. As he lives some distance from the premises the flames were too far advanced before he arrived—although he was at once communicated with—to save any of the valuable articles. As Mr. Eady only used his portion of the premises as a branch shop, he had very little stock on the premises, and most of it was saved. Mr. Bollard's loss—which is not covered by insurance—will be about £5. Mr. Moore, who rented the other portion of the premises for repairing machines, had not entered into the occupancy of them. Mr. Pendered estimates his loss at about £500, which is only partly covered by insurance. It is supposed that the flames originated from a fireplace in the back part of Mr. Burrows's shop, but when he left the premises on Tuesday night everything was safe.
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