DISASTROUS FIRE AT CAMBRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 58, 9 March 1889, Page 5

DISASTROUS FIRE AT CAMBRIDGE.

. TWENTY BUILDINGS •DESTROYED. VERY HEAVY LOSSES. Business Portion of the Township Burnt (BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ' Cambridge, this day. Cambridge was visited at an early hour this morning by a catastrophe of a most appalling character. An outbreak of fire occurred in the main business thoroughfare, and extending itsel^ in both directions, laid the greater part of the business portion of the town in ashes.

No fewer than twenty shops and dwel-ling-houses were destroyed, besides a great deal of stock and furniture.

With the exception of four houses the whole south side of Duke-street was burnt to the ground. The fire was discovered about four o'clock thia morning, by Messrs Cusseri and Hayden, who were preparing to start for the Te Aroha races.

It was then some little time before day break.

The flames were first seen breaking through the roof of Mr Bates's saddlery establishment in Duko-street.

The alarm was at once given, and the residents in the street aroused from their slumbers.

Within a, few minutes the whole of the residents in the township were assembled, and everyone set to work to save property.

The fire spread in both directions at the same time, and the buildings being of wood its progress was very rapid. There was a westerly wiuc], which carried the flames onward very rapidly on the eastern side.

There were no fire appliances available, and practically no supply of wafcar. This being the dry season, newly all the tanks were empty, while those wells which could be got at were very low. Blankets and buckets of water were, however, brought; into- requisition and measures taken by the inhabitants to check the fire at the earliest possible stag©. There was no lack of willing hands, but in the absence of proper appliances, they were practically helpless. Those who were not endeavouring to arrest the progress of the flames were working with praiseworthy energy to save the stock of the various stores in danger, and the furniture and other goods.1 An immense amount ot property was carried out of the various stores in this way, and placed in heaps upon the street beyond the reach of the lire.

Some of the people in the various houses had rather narrow escapes, owing to the rapid spread of the lire, but they nearly all succeeded in saving their wearing apparel.

The flames extended from one place to the other, until the whole street was in flames, tho scene being1 a terrible ono to those who watched it.

Eventually the flames were checked on the eastern side, when they reached the Melbourne Drapery Company's store, which was saved by meaus of wet blankets.

All the buildings ou the right hand side of the street, from and including Ward's chemist shop to Buckland's horse bazaar, were destroyed.

The Masonic Hotel, on the opposite side of the street, took fire from the excessive heat, but tho flames were extinguished by the application of water and wet blankets, men having previously ascended the roof to be ready in case of emergency.

The scene at the conclusion of the fire was a pitiable one.

All that remained of the business premises that fronted the south side of the main thoroughfare were about twenty bare chimney stacks and a heap of smouldering rains.

The street was littered with piles of goods, furniture and other household possessions. The neighbours behaved with great kindness to the unlortunate people who had been so suddenly rendered homeless, taking them into their houses, and ministering to their immediate necessities. Many brave deeds were preformed by the inhabitants during the progress of the fire, but of those I shall forward further particulars for your next issue. The admirable behaviour of four single girls, who were amongst the (irst on the scene of the lire, calls for very favourable j comment. They broke the windows of several stores, and working heroically, saved a great deal of valuable stock. The following places gf business have been burnt. Ward's, chemist shop. Bates' saddlery shop. An unoccupied shop. Biley's tailoring shop. Keesing's, an unoccupied office. Sargeant, jeweller's shop. Kincaid's store. Golder, watchmaker. Bond's stationery shop. H" Pierce, fruiterer. McNeish's billiard saloon. Cox's grocery store. An unoccupied shop adjoining. Neal, Beedsman. Huge, hairdresser. Offices of thelate F. A. Whitaker. Buckland's Horse Bazaar And some houses at the rear of the block. A great quantity of valuable stock was removed, but in each case the upstairs goods, furniture, wearing apparel, etc., were burnt. The loss will be very heavy.