DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4264, 29 March 1879, Page 5

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Shortly after three o'clock yesterday morning a fire broke out on the premises of Mr Gillespie, chicory and coffee merchant, High street, extending in a very short time to the building and yard* of Messrs Langdown and Co., and ending in the destruction of the large sawmill belonging to that firm, the partial destruction of Mr Gillespie's place, besides doing other damage to adjoining property. The first to give the alarm were somo men engaged in an adjoining bakery, who Btate that they saw the fire in the rear of Mr Gillespie's place shortly after three o'clock. They at once endeavored to pnt it out with buckets of water, but it rapidly gained on them, and they despatched one of their number to the Lichfield street station to give the alarm. By this time the fire had extended to the back portion of the sawmill. This mill stands on a large piece of ground almost at tho junction of High and St. Asaph streets, having entrances to both thoroughfares, and with an office fronting the former street, access to which from the yard was gained by galvanised iron gates, which were kept securely fastened at night time. The mill itself was a very large twostoried building, the lower floor being used as the work-room, and being filled with a number of machines of the usual character, many of them of a first-class and valuable description. The upper floor was used as a store-room, and contained a large quantity of manufactured articles of joinery, cabinet ware, Ac, bo that it will at once be seen that there was a large quantity of combustible material on the premises. In addition to this, the large yard surrounding the building was piled with timber, stacked and unstacked, and inflammable materials of various descriptions. The coffee and chicory mill was also well stocked, and contained in the rear an engine used in the business. The buildings were distinct, but there waa only a short distance between the coffee-mill and the saw-mill, the nearest points being the enginerooms. .... Immediately on the alarm being given at the Lichfield street station the man in charge communicated with the station at Chester street, and also with the house of Mr Harris, the Buperintendent of the fire brigade, by means of the telephonic apparatus now working between the three places. Mr Harris at once, by the same means, returned instructions as to the position in which the engines were to be placed, and himself hurried down to the scene of the fire. At this time it was half-past three o'clock. Ihe fire had now obtained a good hold of the mill and the coffee establishment._ Both buildings were of corrugated iron, which peeled off from the sides and from the roof, revealing the masses of flame within, which speedily burst forth, rising high in the air, and throwing a lurid glare around. It was now evident that nothing could save the larger building, and every effort was made to extinguish the coff?e mill and bo prevent the adjoining premises from catching If they had done so, with the strong isonth west wind blowing, .nothing could have saved the entire block. As it was, many of the buildines had a narrow escape, and it was only by the most strenuous labor that the firemen saved the bmMing of Mr White, the upholeterer, for as the fire progressed the Bparks flew to leeward in masses that threatened speedily to destroy all wooden buildingß with which they came iv contact.

The first engine to arrive was the Deluge, -which was placed at the tank opposite to Wilson, Sawtell and Co.'s. The hand engine, the Dreadnought, speedily followed, and was put to work at the side channels in High street, in front of Langdown's, from which during the earlier stages of the fire, aeopious supply of water was oMained. Indeed the supply at this place did much to prevent its sprawl to the adjoining buildings. The Hook and Ladder Company then came up with the Pioneer; and the Extinguisher, from the Chester street Btation, completed the available fire extinction appliances connected with the brigade. This latter engine was placed at the tank near [ Montgomery's, and all four were speedily at Iwork. For a. co__derable time $he supply 'l_ted, but in co_eq_DC« of the length of the hose coanect—g with Montgomery's tack, ihe

.pressure waa cot so great as could have been wished. At one time it lokod as though nothing could save tho row of shops ia High street; and the shop and rooms of Mr Goodaiaa the grocer, and of Mr Pye thegasfitler and others were cleared, the-whole of the goods being placed in safety. Everything was done in a most orderly though expeditious manner, and seldom has a fire of such magnitude passed off with so little excitement. The poli.-e were early on the spot, under the charge of Mr Inspector Broham and Inspector Hickson, and the fire police also mustered in force under the command of Captuin Alport. It need scarcely b* said that the firemen turned out with promptitude, for this ttey always do. Aa may bo imagined, the heat thrown out by the biasing building was intense, aud it was as much as the men could do, covered as they were with wetted sacks, to face the flames. After about an hour's hard work the fire was got well in hand, and all danger of its spreading was over. While the front portion of the coffee factor* was saved, the back portion was utterly destroyed. By thii time the water had almost given ont and the efforts cf the firemen were directed te the prescrvat'on of surrounding property, the saw mill being burnt to the ground, leaving nothing standing bat the tall and solid chimney. A great deal of timber stacked in the yard was also destroyed—indeed it was nine o'clock yesterday morn-tig before the fl—les were completely quelled and tho firemen able to leave the scene. The back portions of many of the houses adjoining were burnt and scorched, Buffering more or loss damage.

The origin of the fire is unknown, and it is even now a moot point whether it first broke out in the coffee cr the saw mill. It is stated that when Mrs Goodman arid a friend returned home about one o'clock they smelt a strong smell of fire, bnt could discover no Eigns of it, and therefore disregarded it. On the other hand a man named John Sullivan, a laborer belonging to Chertsey, who is now on a visit to town, tells the police that as he was standing in the middle of the road in High street, nearly in front of Goodman's, about three o'clock, he taw a man jump over the front gate leading into Langdown's yard and run away. The police, however, are very strongly inclined to discredit this statement, although Snllivan was perfectly sober when he made it.

The scene of the fire waa visited by a large number of people yesterday, and last night a , po'iceman and a night watchman were on duty in case of an outbreak of any debris that might be smouldering. The following are the insurances:—Messrs LangdownaodCo.areinsured in the New Zealand Co. for jeisoO, but they estimate their loss at i>2ooo over and above this. Half of this £1500 is re-insured in the South British. Mr Gillespio, who estimates his loss at £1000, was insured in the South British for £550. Mr Goodman sustained a loss of about .£4O through removal of goods, Ac Hβ was insured in the Standard office for £600 and in the Manchester Unity office for £100. Some little damage was auffe ed by shopkeepers in the vicinity, but it was of a trifling character. ■