GEEAT FIRE IN TIMARU.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2486, 10 December 1868, Page 3

GEEAT FIRE IN TIMARU.

—* — IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. {From the Timaru Herald, Btc. 9.) Monday last may indeed be called«black Monday " for Timaru, as on that day there occurred one of the most disastrous fires that has ever taken place in New Zealand—a fire that in the short space of a little over an hour swept away over 30 buildings, and destroved as far as we at present know, at le'ast £70,000 worth of property. Unfortunately the wind was blowing fiercely from the nor'west at the time, and to this cause may be assigned the reason that so many buildings, both isolated and in blocks, were destroyed, as the wind carried the burning embers and fired the shingled roofs of houses 200 or even 300 yards distant from where the fire was raging. As the ZWk Herald office was destroyed, and all our staff were engaged in saving what was possible from the burning building, we cannot give in this issue so full an account of the tremendous conflagration as we should have wished. The following is a list of the buildings destroyed:—

ON THE WEST SIDE, MAIN SOBrH KOAD, Mr D. Munro's furniture warehouse Mr Kitson's offices (New Zsaland Insurance Company) Mr Nelson, tailor Mr Knight, painter Mr Wood, saddler Mr Seymour, watchmaker Mr Salomon, draper Mr French, seedsman Mr Younghusband, bookseller Mr Greer, tobacconist Mr Jacobs, watchmaker Mr Eskine, grocer Mr Watkins, chemist Mr Williamson's offices The Bank of New Zealand The Post and Telegraph offices Private cottage up George street Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull's warehouses Mr Bcldy, hairdresser Dr Butler, chemist Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull's ironmongery store The Timaru Herald offices Mr D. Salomon, draper Mr Bilton, bookseller Mr Byrne's private house Executors James King, butcher's shop and house Messrs M'Caa and Morgan, bakers Mr Hitch, tinsmith

CX THE EAST SIDE, MAIN BOOTH ItOAD. Mr Weaver, tailor An empty Bhop Premises of (he Timaru Butchering Company Mr Perry's offices The Club Hotel Mr Mountford, photographer Mr Melton, private house Mr Melton's stables Mr Turnbull's brick building, occupied by Fraser Brothers, butchers, and Mr Pogonowski, hairdresser A small private house The following buildings were damaged : Messrs Cain Munro and Co.'a warehouses Mr Ilutton, grocer Messrs Todd, drapers Mr Green, Ship Hotel, The fire was first seen to break out in a cabinet maker's workihop, at the back of Mr D. Munro's furniture warehouse, The boy usually attending there was for some reason absent for a few moments, and Mr Munto who was in his front store, was told that his workshop was on fire. He immediately rushed to the spot and endeavoured to confine the fire to that locality. But all efforts made were futile, as the flames speedily caught the furniture warehouse, and in a few minutes it was levelled to the ground. The fire also extended backwards, and ignited some timber in the yards of Cain, Munro and Co., and it was feared that the whole stock of timber would be burnt, together with a large stock of coal lying in the same yards. But plenty of willing hands were ready, and the timber was 6HTed; and by the same means the house occupied by Miss Rose, standing at the back of the limber yards was saved, for its destruction was certain if the fire had spread amongst the stacks timber. The warehouses of Cain, Munro and Co were in imminent danger, being only about 12 or 14 feet from Mr Munro's furniture warehouse, but a body of men set to work to cover the roofs and portions of the building nearest to the fire with blankets, keeping them saturated with water which was fortunately bandy. At ono time the danger was so great that the windows in that part [of the ware-

house the most removed from the fire were smashed open, and gangs of men were employed in removing the stock to a building in the vicinity. As soon as it was perceived that the warehouse must be destroyed, a large body of men set to work to save as much as possible of the stock inside the building, and the Btreet opposite was strewed with a quantity of furniture and miscellaneous goods. We believe a large quantity of furniture was thus saved, but still Mr Muuro is a heavy loser, as we understand he was uninsured.

I Meanwhile the fire burnt furiously, and , 60on enveloped the offices of Mr Kition, and the shop of Mr Nelson, tailor, in a broad : sheet of flame, Prom these buildings we are not aware if any goods were saved. The shop? of Mr Knight, painter, and Mr Wood, saddler, were then caught, and speedily succumbed to the flames. At this point an attempt was made to arrest the fire, as between Mr Wood's and the next house, ocenpied by Mr Seymour, watchmaker, there is a gap of about 20 feet, by pulling down the shop occupied by Mr Wood, but all to no purpose, as long before the veranda posts were cut away, the fire had taken a firm hold of the building. A few goods were saved from these buildings, but we believe of comparatively small value, and Mr Wood is a considerable loser,, although insured. One or two men employed in the upper storey of Mr Wood's in throwing goods into the Btreet, had a somewhat narrow escape, as they remained in the burning building long after the roof and walls were on fire. The people below repeatedly shouted to them and warned them of their danger, but most likely the howling of the wind prevented them hearing, and so they remained till forced to quit by the blinding smoke and flames. They left the building not a moment too soon, for it fell directly afterwards. We are not aware whether Mr Knight was insured, but if not he must be a very heavy loser, as we think but little of his stock was saved, It was about the time that the flames were blown across the street and seized on the house occupied by Mr Weaver, tailor, at the same time continuing their devastating course on the 6i'de of the street it originally started from by extending to Mr Seymour's, Mr Weaver's shop, and the one adjoining, then empty, were speedily destroyed, and the fire then caught the premises of the Timaru butchering company, and from thence extended to the new offices of Mr Perry, which were likewise utterly consumed. Prom that block of buildings, from Mr Weaver's to Mr Perry's office, we are not aware what property was saved, neither do we know the value of insurances effected on each building. Mr Perry was fortuuate enough to save all his deeds, but some were slightly charred. Tho shops of Messrs Todd, drapers, Mr Hutton, grocer, and the Ship Hotel, on the same side of the street, but higher up, being on the north side of Beswick street, and fronting the furniture warehouse, where the fire commenced, narrowly escaped destruction. The whole of the shop fronts were charred, and the glass broken by the intense heat. Most of the goods were taken from these premises, but a great many were destroyed by the hasty removal. All the time the fire was devouring the building on the east side of the main road, it

baa 1 crossed he narrow space intervening between Mr Wood's and Mr Seymour's on the west side, and but feir minutes elapsed when Mr Seymour's house was inflames A large portion of Mr Seymour's stock-in-trade was earned off the premises, and his Was is we understand, comparatively small. As-soon as Mr Seymour's house had caught, it?was Been that at all events the whole of that block of buildings was doomed, and in fact every short time elapsed and the fire was wins with great fury from Seymour's at tho°oue end to Mr Erskine's, the grocer, on the other. In tins block were included the premises of Mr Salomon, draper, Mr French, seedsman, Mr Younghusband, bookseller, and Mr Jacobs watchmaker. Every building fell one after the other like a pack of cards. We do not know the value of property saved from this block, but we believe it to bo comparatively trifling to what was destroyed. Mr Seymour was uninsured, Messrs Salomon, French, and lounghusband were insured. Mr Salomon though is a very heavy, loser, as only very lately he received a large quantity of new goods which were nearly all destroyed. We are not aware whether Messrs Jacobs and Jirskme wore insured or not.. It was thought that here the fire would have stayed, as a gap of about seventy yards intervened between Mr Erskine's shop and Mr Watkms', the chemist, but the wind blowing hard down the street carried with it fragments of burning debris, and the lighter particles crossing Mr Watkins' shop fell on the Bank of New Zealand,, a detached building standing at least lao yards from Mr Erskine's shop, where the fire then was raging At this time the shop of Mr Watkins, chemist, with the offices of Mr Williamson, architect, were still uninjured, and wet blankets were put up on the northern side to protect them. Even before the Bank of New Zealand bad taken tire, the fine building of Clarkson and Turnbull, at the opposite corner, had been ignited by the flying fire. Then it was known that no power on earth could save that entire block. Tbe occupants of the shops and offices at once commenced to bundle the contents of their buildings into the street, and to endeavour to save the most valuable things. But in less time almost than it takes us to tell the story, the entire block was one sheet of flames. The Post and Telegraph offices were in flames before much could be saved, and the batteries of the Telegraph department were all lost, thus cutting off cominunicatiou until others cau be received from Christchurch.

Adjoining the Post-office was the boot and shoe department of Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull, containing a verv heavy stock, and the flames leapt into this shop in a second of time. They then spread to the other parts of the builling with equal rapidity until the whole of the corner premises were enveloped, and it was impossible longer lo curry out things witli safety. From all their departments in the corner shop, a two-story building, and by far the finest in Timaru, we believe that only a little more than a thousand pounds worth of stock was saved. Some of the drapery was turned into the street, but the smoke from the block of buildings to the north, and the intense heat of the flames, were such as to drive back the most daring. The loss of Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull must lie most serious as they bad an enormous stock and were only partially insured. The. Bank of New Zealand was at this time blazing on the roof, and Mrs Cliiskolm and her family had little time to escape, but some of the private property was rescued by daring voluuttcrs. The attention of voluuteeri was also directed to sa»ing the books and documents of value in the bank, and wc are glad to learn that nothing of value in that respect was lost. The fire was making rapid headway towards the top of the hill, to the south of the town. The roofs of the buildings appeared to take fire simultaneously, as they were all made of shingle, and rendered like matchwood by the dry nor'-west wind, There was a small roadway between the stores of Claikson and Turnbull and the next building, Mr Beldy's shop, but this was covered over by an uppw span containing one store room. Mr Beldy's place was of course next devoured, and as far as we know, he saved nothing, and was uninsured. Adjoining Mr Beldy's shop, on the south side, was the chemist and druggist shop of Dr Butler, who resided on the premises. A few of the most valuable and dangerous chemicals were taken out of the shop, but everything else was lost, including clothing and bedding, and Mrs Butler and family only escaped witli their lives. Next to Dr Butler's was the ironmongery store of Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull, from which goods were being pitched into the street, but this lasted for only a moment, as ths flames drove men hack, and most of the goods thrown out of the shop were burnt in (he middle of the road, or on the opposite side of the street, We believe the stock was only insured to the extent of £3OO or £4OO.

■ Then came the Timuru Herald office, a comparatively new building, one portion of ; which was let off to Mr D. Salomon. A number of persons were here engaged in ■ carrying out cases of type to an open space 1 at the back, and in taking down presses, kc. Others were employed in throwing out paper from the windows of the upper room. Before 1 much was done in this way the men had the 1 fire falling upon them through the roof, and were compelled to desist. The principal portion of the newspaper type was saved, but the whole of the jobbing type, frames, and other materials were destroyed. The paper ■ thrown into the street was burned before it ■ could be carried away, and not a sheet of any description was saved, beyond a small quantity which had been partly printed in anticipation of the Wednesday's (to-day's) issue. The presses went through the fire, but as we write we are hopeful that one may be patched up so as to enable us to strike off a few impressions on Wednesday. The men worked bravely to rescue everything possible, but some of the materials taken into the back part of the olSce were melted into a mass; and when we tell our readers that brass galleys were run into a lump with the glass from the windows, they will realise something of the intense heat. Here a dog, belonging to Mr Belfleld, wai burnt to death, as it refused to leave the office as long as its owner remained, and not seeing its owner leare. in the end was buried in the flames. Both Mr Horton and Mr Belfleld lost their coats, the latter with a watch in it, and the men in the office barely escaped from the building in time. The building and the printing material were both partially insured. The shop of Mr D. Salomon, belonging to Messrs Horton and Belfleld, was of course in flames as soon as the Heruld Office, and Mr Salomon rescued little of his stock, which was, we believe, uninsured. Next in order came the shop of Messrs Inwood and Bilton, with only a space of about three feet intervening, as an entrance to the printing office. Mr Billon's shop took lire long before any other in the same block, indeed before the Bank of New Zealand. Fire was blown on to the roof from the other end of the town, where the fury of the flames was terrific, but it was fortunately discovered in time, and the fire stayed for the moment. This enabled Mr Bilton to get out his most valuable things, including pianos, bedding, &c, and in which he was assisted by willing volunteers, The goods were placed on the opposite side of the street, but here they caught fire and had to be further removed to the beach, Mr Bilton was imured on hit stock, and we believe will not bo a very heavy loser. The fire then rushed into the private residence of Mr Byrne (who is now absent from home) and swept it down to the ground in a very short time, but whether Mrs Byrne succeeded in saving anything we have not : learned. We greatly fear, however, that little or nothing was saved. We must here break our narrative, to no- . tiee the opposite side of the street, for long ( before the fire bad reached the point to i whhh we have carried our readers, it had crossed the road aud carried down the Club Hotel from which scarcely anything atall was ' rescued. Fears were entertained that it j would also lay hold of the stores and officss - of Messrs G. G, Russell and Co., but that ■ part of their premises most exposed was roofed with ilate, and wet blankets were kept on the face of the building, and men I

were posted at var.ons places to put out the fllr" lhi i^ by,how H which c tunately saved tbe buildings. Caplain Scott £ fI ' n Mred ° Ut '" 3 f,lrnitUre . l>Ut fortunately the house occupied by him «. caKasdid^^wemay^inUil 0 . umiuiuer, the tables on the lull, imme. d ately ,„ reiU . 0 f the Club hotel, belonging to Messrs Barton and Gardiner. tlJ V L t °? k / a 1 r readers "P to the Point when Byrne, but it did not rest there for a second. Ihe butcher's shop, the nexl building traveling souhwars, occupied by the iLcutors I 1 kte ,'%»ta thirty or forty Sl fr °?-S Byrne ' s 110,19C '> »W a par building, was gutted almost in-

, Then the-flames carried down the adioiuing building a bakery and p.-utry-cook's hop, occupied by Morgon and M'Caa, where "Mle was saved, and where there was no insurance.

Another building s tni foHoffed tbe g . and homo occupied by Mr IJiteh, tinsmith, ii ,t d evcr} ' thing ' Eui here the

On the opposite side of the slreet a similar scene of awful destruolionwas being enacted, rie house and shop occupied by Mr Mountford, photographer, from its character, fell a ready prey to %i ng fire) mi Gfol J, d only a climmcy standing. , n ?? x * to l | h » b »M'Bgwas a roadway leadm»r to Melton* stable, and on the other side Tmnbi l ll;.which was divided into two shops, one occupied by Frazer Brothers, butchers and the other by Mr Pogonowski, hairdresser. afe, but he fire devoured tbe woodwork in an instant of time, and soon the walla fell in. a small wooden building adjoining, of course uia not escape. The fire also at the same amount took bold oi Melton s stables, where little beyond the horses was saved,

Al the way along the sam* street, where the places were much more scattered, there was nothing to be seen but people hurriedly clearing their homes, in anticipation of the scourge reaching them. But beyond the points we hare named on either side of tbs, main streat it did not spread, and about six o clock the worst was over. As far as we can ascertain, the following ist will show the amount of liability incurred, by different insurance companies, viz.:—

Victoria 200 NewZealaud ... ..'.' g'oooImperial 4,000 ,* London, & Liverpool & Globe 8,000 London and Lancashire ~. 3,500. North British 2 500. %«1 a'ooo Total ... £30,200: Such is the account, perhaps somewhat imperfect, of the greatest disaster that has ever visited our town—and such a frightful contingency as the scourge of firs visiting Timaru we have more than once pointed out and advised remedial measures to be adopted such as providing an ample water supplv. Our suggestions have unfortunately, however, always passed unheeded. There is no doubt thatif the town had possessed an engine of sufficient power to throw water say to the height of the Bank of New Zealand, and if a supply of water had been at hand,-we should not have to deplore the loss of that building, or the block of buildings commencing at Clarkson and Turubull's, for if it had been possible to have kept the roofs and walls of those buildings saturated with water, there was some chance of their being saved., A great quantity of property was left in the streets and the volunteers were called out and kept watch: and ward over it during the night, assisted by a large body of special constables sworn in for the purpose. The fire was burning all night, and gave a most weird-like appearance to the town, at times burning up with vivid brightness, and then again sinking and giving out volumes of black fetid smoke. Yesterday morning the ruins in places were so hot that it was dangerous to walk over them. Danger was also apprehended from chimneys falling-one or two did fall by themselves, and a few were pulled down to prevent accidonts,

A public meeting was held on Monday evening, convened to devise measures for providing | food and lodging for the sufferers by the fire. A number of special coustablea were also sworn iu to protect property during the night. On Tuesday, an enquiry into the origin of the fire-took place, and after the evidence of Mr Monro and his workman had been heard, the jury arrived at the verdict that the fire was accidental; but as a rider they expressed their opinion that greater care might have been exercised on the part of Mr Munro with regard to the stove in his workshop, where the fire originated. We understand that all the valuables were saved belonging to the Bankof New Zealand, and that arrangements have been madefy which the business of the Bank will be carried on at Mr LeCreu's stose. It may also be stated that the whole of the letters were saved at the Post-office.