THE CAMBRIDGE FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 59, 11 March 1889, Page 5

THE CAMBRIDGE FIRE.

FULLER PARTICULARS,

INSURANCES £2,500.

LOSS EXCEEDS £10.000,

(BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Cambridge, this day. CAMimiDGs undoubtedly is in ashes, as I telegraphed you on Saturday. The total number of buildings destroyed is, 16 shops, 3 dwelling-houses, '4 shanties, and horse bazaar.

The fire started in Bates's saddlery store, the flames coming out through the roof. It was first observed by Mr Allen, who had come over for a doctor, and some citizens who were going to start early for Te Ar«ha races.

The wind blowing from the east carried the firs along the street and fortunately away from the east .side of the street, which was on fire twice, but was put out byjVlrC. Richardson with a baby engine, while the front of the house is scorched up, and will require renewing. Great credit is due to Messrs Dillon, MeGee, Nixon and tiemill, for assisting Mrs Bates and family out of the house at great risk to themselves.

Bates's store and stock were insured for £280. The loss over that is heavy. Mr Ward, chemist, lost all, and had no insurance.

Mr Sargent, jeweller, had £300 on his etock. but saved nearly everything. His estimated loss is £50.

Ml" Bond, printer, had £200 on his house in the Norwich Union, and lost £100. His stock is covered in tho Imperial, and his loss perhaps will be £20. The plant rind machinery were insured for £250 in the Victoria oiiico, bub are untouched.

McNeish's buildings were insured for £150 and the billiard table for £50. The table was saved. Ciements's three houses were insured for £250, but cost £900.

Hewitt is insured for £650 on the Horse Bazaar in two offices.

Two cottages ; the loss on these is known to be £550.

Weal's store was insured. Hewitt has lost £50 on hia etock, which is not insured but is all saved.

Neal had £300 worth of stock in the store, which was saved.by the exertions of Messrs Henry Wilson Bull and his sons. He reckons thut £30 will cover his loss.

Sargeant saved his jewellery by having a fire-proof vault and also a safe'made by J. and J. Taunton, of Birmingham, in which jewellery of value, money, paper and gold and all business books were kept. The whole contents were practically uninjured and tho jewellery wholly so.

Nearly everybody who suffers speaks well of the assistance rendered by volunteers in saving goods, but had ajiy brigade existed even without water the loss would not have been half so serious. The pulling down of one or two small buildings might have saved the horse bazaar and other buildings, but no one uras present having any authority, so everything went.

The total loss by insurance companies will not be less than £2,500, and lucky they are to get off at that. Tho property destroyed is estimated at £10.000. On Saturdny nurht some one set fire to the gor.-e near Tamahere Bridge, on the main road, and cha engineer had to put men on for tho safety of the bridge, there being a lot of dead stuff round the approaches. THE INSURANCES. The insurances on tho buildings destroyed in this conflagration appear to be remarkably small, the risk having been considered so great that they were not undertaken except at a very high premium; So far as we can ascertain the Insurance Companies arc interested as follows: — The South British have no reliable information yet, but estimate their loss at £500. The New Zealand Company's loss is estimated at £400, or under. The National has : £250 on Sargent's jeweller shop and Kinkard's store, and the Norwich Union ha 3 £200 on Bond's stationery shop. The Northern Assurance has £300 on Buckland's horse bazaar, but of this .«um £100 is re-insured with the South British. The Standard has £250 on an iron building, which is supposed to have escaped, not being mentioned in our list of casualties. The Victoria is interested to the extent of £300, part of which is on Sargeant's stock, the Equitable has £100 on Kinkard's stock and the Imperial £100 on Bond's stock. Neither the Colonial nor Union offices were interested.