FIRE IN QUEEN-STREET.

Auckland Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3560, 6 January 1882, Page 2

FIRE IN QUEEN-STREET.

AT daybreak this morning a lire broke out iv the produco store and auction mart of Mr George Sibbin, which is situated in a, block of three-story buildings at the southern side of tho Waitemata Hotel, (Juccu-street. Constable McConnell, who was on duty in the vicinity, seems to have been the iitst to have observed tho fire, and he at once ran round to the Wait.' mata and blew his whistle. The time was ten minutes past four. Kcrgt. Fleming was proceeding along the streot from Sbortlandstrcct, and he had just noticed a puff of smoke from one of the second story front windows, when the constable made his appearance, Tho sergeant immediately hurried to tho Insurance Builoings, and ordered the man in the watch tower to ring out an alarm, and this ho very promptly did. Meantime it was seen that tho flames were raving in the roar portion of the ground floor of Mr Sibbiu's pemiscs, while the smoke, in dense volumes, was finding an outlet throuyh most of the window. The Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Hughes, aud the Salvage Corps, under Captain Butler, were not long iv obeying the summons for assistance, and very shortly after their arrival, a jet ef water waß playing upon the lire, ihe progress of the il-ines was at once arrested, and gradually they were extinguished, when an entrance into llic store was effected. It was found, as surmised, that tho conflagration had bad its origin iv the rear part of the ground floor, and that most of the damago had boon wrought thero. The remainder of the store and all the gooss contained in it were charred or scor.hed, nnd even upstairs, whither the lire had not penetrated, the intense heat, and the dense, opaque Binokc had bluckencd everything, while nearly all the window panes were smashed, The store contained some farm and dairy produce, aud a number of boxes of tea were ranged along the shelves, Kauri gum, of which there were three bngß, was the most inflammable ftibitanco kept in the rear portion of the store, the remaining goods being bacon, hams, cheese, maize, etc. No theory is advanced to account for the outbreak. The Htorcmin says he left the place about live o'clock, leaving everything secure, and that then there was nothing apparent to cause suspicion or excite apprehension. Mr Sibbin lias his stock insured for £1,300, viz., £1,000 in the National, and £300 in the Northern Assurance Company The building bolongs to the New Zealand Insurance Company, and is insured by them tor £200 in the National Company, ami £200 in tho Victoria Company. The Fire Brigade deserve credit for their prompt response to tho alarm, a», had the lire exteuded to tho wiuo nnd spirit vaults next door, tho whole block might havo been destroyed, Tho police also mustered in strong lorco under SergeantMajor lardy,