DISASTROUS FIRE

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17402, 13 March 1922, Page 6

DISASTROUS FIRE

ten houses destroyed in WELLINGTON. main water supply not AVAILABLE. BRIGADE'S FINE STRATEGY.

One of the worst residential area fires in the Wstory of 'Wellington occurred on Saturday morning between about 7.80 and 9 o'clock. The whole of Maurice terrace, comprising eight large two-storey houses, and two houses in MclCenz'e terrace situated just to the back of Wellington t-errace, between Mount street on "the side and McDonald crescent on tihe other, were totally destroyed in a little over an hour. The work of the Brigade was hampered ns it was in the cose of at least twr> great local fires in the past, by the failure of the high-pressure water supply (says the "Post"). This was. due to a break in the Wainui main. No pressure could be obtained from the near-by hydrants on The Terrace and Mount street, and it was not till a lead of 1500 feet of ho-c was taken over tihe hill from Kelburn that a sufficient head could be obtained to have any effect on the fire. This new supply of water reaching tho scene shortly after 9 o'clock—over an hour and a "half after tho outbreak of the fire—was concentrated on the north end of the blaze, where the tenth housa was going up in flames, and the valiant efforts of the Central Brigade, supplemented by its suburban and auxiliary fire-fighters, succeeded a little later in cutting off the fire from further advance towards Mount street and Tho Terrace proper. Had it not been for this single lead of high-pressure water from the Kelburn high-level system, concentrated by evcrv conceivable appliance at the critical time on the danger zone of the fire, no. tilling could have stopped its progress into Mount street and then back to The Terrace. It is hard to see where the fire would have stopped without such a precious feeder of water applied in tho very nick of time. Probably The Terrace would have been swept north and south. Loss about £30,000. The eight Maurioe terrace houses destroyed were all substantial two-storey residences of superior type, and the two in McKenzie terrace- were also modern, commodious homes. The total loss, for nothing is left of the houses burnt but the solitary high chimney sticks, standing like the columns of a mined temple, is estimated at between £25,000 and £30,000. _ The loss to the insurance! companies is put down at about £2O 000. Following are details of the owners and occupiers of the houses destroyed:— Maurice Terrace, (Starting from the south end): No. 25.—Mrs B. Berry, owner and occupier, with daughter and five girl students as boarders. No. 23.Mr J. L. Morrison, owner and occupier, wttro was absent at. the time. Two occupants. No. 21.—Mr J. Harlc, owner and occupier, with Mrs Har'.e and two children and two lady visitors from New Plymouth. 1 ' No. Sime, owner and occupier, with family. No. 17.—Mrs Barker and her son, Mr N. A. J. Barker, occupier of top floor. Mr and Mrs Percy South, occupiers of bottom floor. No. 15. —Mrs J, Rains, owner and occupier. No. 13.—Mr Charles Bush, owner and occupier. No. 11.—Mr J. Mathers. McKenzie Terrace. No. 9.—Public Trustee*,, in the estate of the late Mrs A. D Welch, occupied by Mr Frank \V. Bell, with family. No. 7.' —Mrs M. McGavin, owner a.nd ooeupier. No. 0.-yCaptain Smith, was damaged by scorching and excessive heat. Other adjoining (houses were more or less Bcorched.

How the rire Started.

The fire seemed to have started in Mrs Raines's house, through an accident, it is understood, to an oil stove. Smok3 was seen issuing first out of the chimney at the rear, and then the flames burst out. Among* tiio first to see it were the students and cadets residing nfc the Donbank Y.M.C.A. Hostel (at one time the residence of the late Hon, John Duthie), and the danger was immediately realised. There are over a hundred boarders at Donbank, and there was a rush over to assist and do whatever could be done. In the meantime the fire was spreading through the house rapidly, and the Donbank boarders were assisting to get outside all the furniture they could, The sloping gardens m front of the rather close-p&cTced terrace of houses were soon oovered with furniture of all kindsyfrom beds, tables, and puoos to the lighter articles, such as pictures and books. Unfortunately Jcapok mattresses were thrown out also among the furniture, and' the intense heat from the flames kindled the kapok, and most of the furniture was burnt before it could be earned further to safety on The Terrace itself. Some articles—couches and chairs—were actually burning as they were being moved, and some had to be dropped en route. Soon The Terrace and the rear gardens of houses and the waste lana to the rear of Maurice terrace had their little piles of furniture hero and there, with people round them like refugees in the war area.

Meanwhile all the occupants of the burning or endangered houses were pouring out in a high state of distress and excitement. "Women were screaming and children crying. Two little children were discovered still asleep by some of the JDonbank boys, and pulled out to safety from a burning building just in time. It was a scene of indescribable confusion; people crossing each other's trades and often bringing out the useless article and- forgetting the valuable.

Among the many tragedies of the fire was the losa« bv a newly-married couple, who only the evening before had arrived back from their honeymoon, of all their belongings. A distracted, mother whose littJe children were missing found them at last wandering in Dixon street, some distance from the fire. An elderly lady (Mrs Morrison), mother-in-law of Mr Corkill who, sinc-e her arrival from Home haa been seriously ill, had to be carried out of her burning house. Great Work of Fire Brigade.

All this was happening in a very few minutes, for the lire spread literally like the whirlwind. When the brigade arrived they could do little at first without water. The first thing to do was to tap the avai'able supply, and this they got from the Kelburn highlevel system, the hose wriggling over the hill past the edge of tiie Mount street cemetery like a snake. That line of hose was all that lay between the bulk of The Terrace and destruction. A lead was also taken down to Wi'lis street, but the pressure was too poor to do much more than pour on the burning embers. * All that was left (Continued At Toot ot Next Column.)

of Maurioe terrace was now chimney stacks, quivering under W so intense as to be f«lt • acrofis Tn« Terrace, and a mass of ing .embers, hot-water boilers andl cop pors steaming on the ground, and fl pipes burning from broken , way along to each house. B'2 c had gathered around the _ houses ■ joining the corner of Aiount street McKen£io terrace. The great dang« was that, unless a supply °j, , could be speedily obtajned, . would work right down Mount and then back alonj; The Terra . possibility was at 'once seen by &UW fntendent Tait when he arrived °n J scene with two machines, aM gine was immediately sent back™ Central Station to secure more fighting applianoes, and to a concentrated pressure c . ff' u its obtained from Keli>urn> wfo j water from the Karonre „ ir aaiet!, As speedily as could be. KeltlUI t certain valves were cutoff to ensure the highest being maintained, and at 9.10 lead of hose, was MeKenzie terracerfrom Kelburap at the back of Victoria pif* length of hose measured aboutf feet, and it had to be 1& d hill on which the Koma ofl9 Cemetery is Sltua^ d ; JL re 0 f water lead of hose and a P"*™ 1 no t « which in the.circura^® dt Ban fulb strong as desired tlie br ; g stre ct set to the task ? f6aV , 1D f h hoU6e s >» and the , majority of tb L ing ffiH MeKenzie terrace f JO I3I cSnpleWl out. That the task with success *«, a scorched. have been ascertainei IJv 1 J v £ISOO >' M "% h K'7«S«. 090 ' the Standard Office, m the Atlas. Souse, S in the Soutb furniture, » British. n Bge £OOO « tD ° Mr C. Bush.-Ho" 86 ' S Mr°p Ce A. South.— -Furniture, * in' United Welsh Estate. ■" °"»f bX'-f™'""' . c+nte Fire l/nli* i j Standard (damaged by fire). £l °°