FIRE AT HASTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 95, 15 January 1908, Page 8

FIRE AT HASTINGS.

extensive damage. DUi'FICULTy WITH THE STEAM FIRE ENGINE. (fll 'TELEGBArn—SPECiiI, CORRESPONDENT.) '< Hastings, January 14. At twelve o'clock last night tho fire bell rang, arid/at that'timo it' was apparent',that a blaze : was raging''m;,tlie centre of the Borough. .The whole .town . turned out. The, scene, of the, fire'.was in,. Station Street,, a couple''of doors from the . post office,, which was only ."saved'by two intervening-,.brick walls. """' "; ' '' . . i-- , ' The fire started in :tho-kitchen of the restaurant. known .as "The Sili/; Grid," arid was discovered by a party ; who were playing carjls' itf. an" ad jpining : 'room!.' Tho. alarm .was raised'immediately, but the flames had', already a,good grip, and within a. few; moments the' flames;' had swept; through to tile'front of th'o building,' and were making their way through, the window; casements : to ,the adjoining shops. -' r - />' ;J - -hoses tho ;whole block, from'-the brick myalls, of Messrs. 'Hart r j sho'rn and Wellwobd'.s-'promises to tho fruiterer's at tho.corner,, of tne Grand Hotel..right-of-way was ,in flames, , and it .only' required a north-easterly; breoze;; to carry .them ..across to th'o : Ecohomio"dfap'ei7 shop, which would have'cleared out the whole corner. '; -At the outset "ar.,diffic.ulty. was ■ experienced with .the, steam fire -engine, which could not be. operated.'for.about ten minutes, owing to ,obstruction in the.. va]ve, and the engine.. Examined ~thjs morning in order tp'-ascerjfcain -the 1 exact ..nature- of- the difficulty, ... ... ; . ' -, ...... When! however, the brigade: got to work, they gaVe , a good , amount of themselves, and- despite, the factfTtJiat'' tho :.flain'es "'had spread to tho shop of; Sir. Lewis-(jeweller), and Mr. Christian .(bicycle agent), and that , a gentle sputh-westHitnid : had flung sparks over the intervening' brj.ck'.walls -on,to the premises of Mr. Ebbett '(solicitor),' and Messrs.". .Hartshorn and Wellwood's • (land 'agents).,^sptfji/i^ljloth'./buildings ■ op fire, they had the'-'Wtbrcak control ih a very .short' timo. .:;Ih spite of tho liiiriihor of business premises' .involved;,in, ~tho, conflagration,' :the area ■affected was. not Very :largo,, as in some, cases one-roof .covered'a number of.-occupiers; . .'vThb insurances .are lis follow,:—Buildings owned by Mr.'Jv Blake and occupied by Messrs. Hartshorn and Wellwbod, £90; in the Ailianco; contents, £50 in .tho..Standard. -.Mr.': Ebbett, solicitor, contents of promises," .-£35, - Alliance; ''.building, £100, Yorkshire. "Silver Grid" Restaurant, occupied by Mr. Martin Johnston,- contents,;in tho Alliance, £150 ; 'building,'owned by Mr. .£!. A.' Beecroft,- £50 in .tho Victoria. .-.Mr,; Edgar Lewis" '(watchmakor),' siocki'-'^SOO, 1 -in the Siiii. Messrs.,;Woostcr..and Co. (pastrycooks), uninsured. . Messrs; Fagan.' and - Fraser (tea ■morchants)-;' unihs.ur.9d loss,' £150. Mr: Fitzpat-rick ' (billiard saloon and 'contents), uninsured;.,':estimated'/'']oss, -£770. Messrs, 'E-.-'Reyhqlds' aVid'Co. (cyclo agents), beiieyed; to; bo -the, Alliance; estiniated -;loss : ,aboveV insurance;. i-£450; Tne building''occupied! by,.Messrs. Reyiiolds' mid Co., T;-Robertsonj': shd'A.''Hyde was owned by; Mr; -W. C.. Maddisoh,. and was insured, •for £325 in the Atlas Office. Mr. H._ Cnristian'. (cycle, ; agent), stock '£100,' in ."tlio Guardian' Office, and £100 in the' Alliance. :The 'tablesr a an'd fittings in Hyde's" billiard room: werd insured'-'in the'Ailianco for £250, but. .we're\Mlf very .'slightly damaged by .water." Mr. T. "Robertson (confectioner), stock £50,. ,111' the','Standard Office. Tho .building,- v Messrs. F. . Cas'sin, ~Scbaeffer,.'.'E'.'; Lewis,.' Christian,' Fitz;patrick,i.y/opster., and .C 0.,. and Eraser and -'Fagan','oynied' by-Mr.,Sowersby,'.were insured : in'' the North Queensland Office for £350. :! It is : estimated that' tho loss'will total about £8000.-' " ; ', . ;",Tho hbccssity 'for,.'.a flro -polico- corps was painfully "evident hy the. utter lack of orga-nisation-in regard to salvage. Tho" buildings . destroyed; all stood on Government leases with, 4}- years to run, and although within the _ brick'area it appears that re-erection in brick-on Government property is not compulsory. ' . j . ..CHARGE, OF ARSON. ... (by tklegbaph—press association.) ; Napier, January 14. '" : .-In connection with:,tlio fire at Hastings, Martin Johnson; proprietor of the "Silver Grid," was arrested this evening oh a charge of arson. •