Fire in Wellington.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxii, Issue 6457, 29 December 1904, Page 3

Fire in Wellington.

MASSEY-HARRIS CO.'S PREMISES DESTROYED.

A GALLANT FIRE BRIGADE.

Wellington, Dec 28

The Massoy-Harris premises, a twostoried building in Lambton Quay, was totally destroyed'by fire'to m ight. A. gale of wind from the south fanned the flames, and made it a brilliant conflagration. Notwithstanding the cold driving rain, some thoueands of people assembled to witness the scene. The lira brigade worked splendidly, notably six men, who gained a position on top of a verandah, and stood their ground in the face of the fierce heat, and in ppite of the falling timbers and dense vol- | umes of smoke. So bravely did they work | that the crowd cheered them. The building destroyed was formerly the old St. George's Hall, which was for many years a leading place of amusement in the city, first as a theatre, and afterwards as a ekating rink. Later on it was leased by Kirkcaldie and Stain?, the well-known drapers, who were the leasers of it ever since. Part of the building has been used by them' for the manufacture of bedding, and the front part on the ground floor was sub-let to tb t e Canada Cycle and Motor Company, who have carried pn a bicycle business there for a considerable .period Anotiper part of the building *eased, §? two Lodges of Foresters, and one of these, Court Sir George Grey, hns lost a valuable banner imported from kngland some years ago. , „ About two hundred Massey-Harns bicycles were destroyed. Only about twenty irare sayed. Tfie bmldingwaß owned by the Foresters. The insurance'on the bidding ftmowated to £1000 in' the Commercial Office The Canadian Cycle Company s stock was insured for £2500 iv the Alliance, and for £1000 in the New Zealand Office, and iSSOO in the Commercial Union.