The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1866. DISASTROUS FIRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 132, 7 August 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1866. DISASTROUS FIRE.

This morning, about half-past 3 o'clock, ihe inhabitants of Nelson were roused from their slumbers by the cry of fire Constables Fitzgerald and Davis were on duty at the time, and were the first to announce the fearful calamity. They were returning from the Wood, when Davis noticed what he calls a cloud, surrounding M'Gee's Nelson Hotel. A moment after flames were seen issuing from an up-stairs window, and cries of alarm were heard from the inmates. The constables blew their whistles. Fitzgerald ran to the lock-up to rouse the force, and Davis raised a ladder to the window from which the cries of alarm proceeded, and assisted several terrified persons to escape. In a few minutes several of the police arrived, with Sergeant j Edwards at their head ; and in less than 10 j minutes from the time the alarm was first j given, Sergeant Nash and all the police of j the town were on the spot, assisting in rei moving furniture and conveying the persons 1 whose houses were on fire to a place of safety. j Considerable delay took plac3 in the ring- | ing of the firebell, from some defect iv the rope, or buugling on the part of those who attempted to ring it. It is stated on good authority that a period of at least twenty minutes elapsed between the alarm given by the constables, and the ringing of the firebell. The police, aud the townspeople who first arrived on the scene of danger, were employed in removing the furniture from M'Gee's Hotel, Porthouse's Hotel, and the houses adjoining, which the flames speedily reached, and destroyed all hope tJiat the buildings could be preserved. A strong south-west wind was blowing at the time, and increased the probability that the fire would be extensive in its ravages. There being nothing to check the fire at this time it was exceedingly rapid in its progress. The flames rapidly extended from M'Gec's to the Royal Hotel, and from that place to the house of Mr. Laney, baker, aud the workshop of Mr. M'Artney, tinsmith. The inmates of some of these houses had to escape for their lives, and with very little clothing, so rapid was the progress of the fire. Mr. Owen exerted himself in rendering assistance to the burnt out people from M'Gee's hotel, little thinking that in a few minutes he would be houseless himself. The flames from M'Gee's hotel soon reached across the street and communicated to Mr. Condell' s store. They rapidly extended to Mrs. Townsend's boarding-house, iv Bridge-street, Mr. Barnes' crockery shop, and the property of Messrs. Fish and Avery, which were soon destroyed. The progress of the flames was checked in this direction by a zinc roof on the house of Mr. Nattrass, and a supply of water from the smaller engine which had by this time begun to. play. It may be remarked that the progress of the fire was stopped on M'Gee's block by the pulling down of M'Artucy's shop, aud the great exertions that were made to keep it from Mr. Tatton's premises, by the application of wet blankets and various chemical preparations which Mr. Tutluu had at his disposal, and fortuuately knew how to use. Solutions of tungstate of soda, chrome, and ammonia were freely used to prevent the flames from communicating to the building. The wind which, in the early part of the fire blew fiercely from the south-west,, the direction iv which it had been blowing during the previous 24 hours, carried the flames from M'Gee's and Condell's houses, to the opposite side of Bridge-street, and the Temperance Hall, Youug Mens Christian Association Meetiug House, and several dwellings adjacent, were soon hopelessly involved. It was hoped at one time that the Mitre Hotel would escape, but the great heat communi- • cated to this corner of Collingwood and Bridge-streets from the buildings blazing on two sides of it, set fire to a house adjacent, and the Mitre Hotel with the buildings of Messrs. Pratt- aud others, were soon destroyed. Mr. Owen assures us that a few

buckets of water would have saved his house, and this opens the question of the small results accomplished by the fire engines that were used at the fire. It is not easy to state with accuracy the time the eugiues arrived on the ground. Some say they did not arrive till an hour, and others till half-an-hour after the alarm of fire was first giveu. The powerlessness of fire engines to arrest the progress of such a fire as took place last uight in wooden buildings, has beeu often seeu, but where the lire engines are not controlled by an intelligent aud well organised body of men, they are almost useless. The most they can do is to pour water on the houses most in danger, and play upon the burning ruins. Had an efficient fire brigade been on the spot in a few minutes after the alarm of fire was given this morning, a great deal of valuable property might have beeu saved. It is useless to complain of an evil without suggesting a remedy. The immunity from iires which Nelson has long enjoyed has created au amount of indifference regarding fires that exists iv few other towus whose buildings are constructed principally of wood. In Dunedin, for instance, where fires frequently occur, there is one of the most efficient fire brigades in the world, and when a j fire occurs all that intelligent, energetic, and | well-organised firemen can do, is done to protect life and property. It is tobe hoped that the disastrous lire of this morning will stimulate the young men of the town to form au efiicieut fire brigade. Such a body of men are useful not only in extinguishing and preventing the spread of fires, but in preventing that useless and wholesale destruction of property which always takes place when an excited multitude takes the place of a well-organised body. A welldiscipliiied fire-brigade, taking its orders from a responsible chief, or acting uuder the superintendence of the head of the police, would have been of great service as the fire of this morning, and we hope the calamity will operate as a warning to the inhabitants to come forward, and form such a body iv Nelson as exists in every important town iv this and the other colonic.-". The amount of property destroyed it is not easy to slate with accuracy, but it is variously estimated from £10,000 to £15,000. M'Gec, £1300, stock, £400 ; Porthouse, £600, stock, £400 ; Laney, £250, furniture, £50; M'Artney, £600; Condell, £1000; Townsend, £300, furniture, £200; Corrigan, £150 ; Teui;>er<*uice Hall, £500 ; Young Men's Christian Association, £200 ; Beattie, £350; Barraclough, £500, furniture, £150 ; Fish, £150, stock, £300; [Owen, £1000, stock, £500; Pratt, £350, stock, £200 ; Leech, £100. This is not supposed to be a correct estimate, as several names of sufferers aro omitted, and the occupiers of some of the houses are mentioned instead of the owner. For instance, Mr. Burn is the owner of the house iv which Mr. Barraclough resides. The latter lias only saved a small portion' of beddiug. We understand that the following parties are insured ; M'Gee, £17,00 ; Porthouse, Royal Hotel, £500, for stock, £400 ; Laney, £250 ; M'Artney, stock, £400 ;" ('oudell, £1.300 ; Trustees of Temperance Iliill, £400; Burn, £350; Mitre Hotel, £600. it is impossible in a narrative written so hastily as this, to be more than approximately correct in reference lo the amount of loss sustained. Mauy of the sufferers have lost their all, and Messrs. Nattrass, Shone, Leech, Mrs. Sharpe, aud a number whose names are not mentioned will be "great suf-ferers-by the fire. A public meeting will be held in the Provincial Hall, this evening at iseven o'clock, for the purpose of devising means for the relief of those who have been rendered destitute by the late fire. As previously intimated, there are a great uumber of sufferers who do not occupy a prominent position, iv society who have lost their all by this dread calamity. It is the duty of .their more fortunate fellow-citizens to interpose in their behalf, and it is to be hoped that there will be a large attendance at the meeting. The meeting is called primarily for the relief of our suffering fellow-townsmen, but it is competent for those who take part in its proceed-

iugs, to urge the importance of having a disciplined fire brigade and a good supply of water iv case of fires. The supply of water from the Van Yean reservoir, has. so effectually extinguished fires in Melbourne, that the Fire Brigade has become almost extinct, aud'the Fire Insurances offices are rendered useless. No town in the world is more favorably situated than Nelson for the obtaining an unlimited supply of water from the hills that surround it, and yet it was found difficult to supply two small engines this morning — when nothing but a providential cessation of the wind prevented the destruction of half the .town. We are informed that the risks in the Insurance offices, in relation to the fire, are as follows:— Victorian, £4oo; Northern, £2,ooo; Liverpool and London, £2,375 ; New Zealand Insurance Company £1,500. Various reports are in circulation as to the origin of the fire. That which states it to have been the work of an incendiary does not seem to rest on fact. It is confidently asserted by a person who lives opposite the hotel, that she saw a reflection of light and immediately afterwards the blind take fire in the nursery of the Nelson Hotel, about a quarter past 3 this morning, a few minutes before the alarm of fire was given.