THE CHRISTCHURCH CONFLAGRATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH CONFLAGRATION.

Christchurch, February 7. TIIO moat ext-ensivo anil disastrous tiro in the annals of Canterbury, if not, indeed,'-of Now Zealand, was heralded by. tho discovery of an outbreak' on tho ground floor of tho cxtrcmo westerly portion of Messrs. Strango and Co.'s warehouse in Lichfield Street a few minutes past ton last; night., Tho building in which tho firo originated , was ono which the firm purchased soma two years ago from Messrs. Ross and Glendining for £13,000, this being at tho time entirely separate from Strango's block, and being subsequently connected with it by. two entrances only, which wore protected by iron doors, tho uso of which last night proved the salvation of tho major portion of thoiimmenso rango of premises, extending round Lichfield Street and for tho greater' portion of High Street, betweon the point named and Cashcl : Street where tho firo started. In tho building in which tho'(ire was discovered to have its seat the two : upper flats were dovoted to tho display of. furniture, the ground - floor' being used as a mantlo showroom. The packing room was included in tho building, as also was the country orders department. THE ORICiN OF THE FIRE. !. It was impossible • last night, or during the'early hours of . tho morning, to hazard a guess at; thoorigin, of tho conflagration, but it appears that Mr. - Froo, the firm.!? watchman, went round tho building after closing "down '•fojr - the, day to ascertain . the safety of everything. Yesterday afternoon being tho weekly half-holiday, tho. sales staffs wero not '.iri tho'building; ' No packing , was going on, and only tho dressmakers, milliners, and other factory hai/ijs wero engaged. Tlieso 1 wero.all'let' out by, Mr. Free, and tho premises,', apparently secure, . wero. subsequently looked up for tho night.,' When the firo was [discovered it had obtained a tremendous hold, and probably had, originated somewhere in tho rear of. tho building, because at tho time tho outbreak! was first libticed, through angry' tongues of 'flamo. darting : through tho ' ( \vindows. on to .Lichfield Street, thowholo floor was irrevocably involved iiv ruin. .Not .only'was the whole edifice consumed, ;but disaster claimed numerous' valuablo promises, and a' scene of . fearful magniiiconco. was speedily unfolded...' " - THE ALARM CIVEM. V . ' . - All alarm was. given- at .the. Clock Tower bo?:, and,- as some sixty'members'of tho city and .'suburban; brigades wero assembled for -'-a social evening ■ at the-Liclifleldi Street' Station, .the portentous news , quickly gained 1 currency/, amongthoso;. immediately '■ con-; cerned. The ■ whole of' the plant was got on to the scenoSvithJittio dclhy, and under tho' direction: of Superintendent Smith tho long anxious' fight with 'the devouring, element was-begun. Steamers,w'ere stationed at the. Cathedral Squaro'tauk,' at. tho-'Ckfo Do-Paris'" deep -well; at the Whito Hart, and Mason Struthers tank, and at: tho rivor. . Upon tho tanks' -at • Cathedral Square rfnd; opposite the Whito Hart becoming exhausted, tho enginos drawing supplies from these wero transferred; to tho river.

AN UNEQUAL CONTEST,

Fauiied by a • brisk", eastorly wind, /tho ilames ■ literally ' poured out. of Strange and Co.'s -windows in roaring" billows, hurling liery debris in a - perpetual ' delugo far and wide. Malcolm and Co.'s warehouse, separated by 1 ah alley on tho western;side,,/was, hungrily; seized upon, and -began burning fiercely from tho upper story. Some, cases in the! back yard'of Benjamin arid Co.'s became. ignited, to bo .followed-. -almost.'-in-! stantly. by a. ; determined' : attack' upon,' the onginc-houso 6f Wardell and Co., m nil adjoining lane. In !,the .meantime,:; thp v firo fiend hai,l spread his tentacles with appalling rapidity.,-and rcmorselessness, .and. attacked tho. White.Hart Hotel atjd Ashhy, Bergh and Co. 's buildings (facing on High Street) jn the rear. Confronted with overwhelming, masses .of Brecon, all sides, and- frequently, in-most-inaccessible positions, tho efforts qf tho com-, billed brigades to stem tlio'awful, torrent of. devastation availed nothing.., Tho; stupendous volume .of -firo- . assumed incrediblo proportions, and tho /flying moments were marked by: tlio piling- of disaster upon disaster, a saturnalia ;of .destruction. '..By. 10.30: p.m. Malcolm and Co.'s premises were doomed, P. Hayman and Co.'s and Benjamin and Co.'s warehouses were menaced; and tho fire had obtained a strong hold of the rear of Wardell: and Co v 's |four : story.' building. The-floors of Malcolm's warohouso collapsed with a series of resounding crashes, and burning' brands wero , projected -high into llio blood-red heavens in ,all; directions. Tho saturnalia of, devastation had., not .-.nearly, reachod its zenith, hilt even at . this, stage for,- could have, imagined what'.widespread destruction • would have befallen one of. the principal business blocks in the city, ere the efforts 'of the fire-fight-ors began ,to. meet with success. ' - THE CITY'S BUSINESS HEART MENACED. The block of buildings oncompnssed by tho sadly ravaged area; and enclosed by High), Lichfield," Colombo, and Casliel Stre.ets, car-; ried a total insurance of about a'.million and a quarter sterling, and was probably cno of the most valuablo for its size in tho Dominion, comprising as it 'did several of tho largest retail honsos, as well as many important warehouses and other premises. THE DANDER OF LIVE WIRES. Apprehending tho danger to human, 'ifo attondant upon the possiblo falling of "live" wires .connected with tho- tramway and Corporation's electrical systems, the sections in High Street, immediately fronting the block involved, were promptly, cut out by v tho authorities. Tramway traffic along High Street consequently was completely suspended for tho timo. being. In ~other parts of tho city tho traffic was impeded owing to the numerous lines of lioso, but as tho,-liour for the departure of tho laic cars had arrived before tho firo assumed its worst proportions, the inconvenience in ■ this respect was not seriously felt. At any rate, in tho face of such widespread disaster, no one was disposed to cavil on that account,

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION. SCENE OF FEARFUL MAGNIFICENCE. - INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY. ?ZT". IHSURAMGES TOTAL OJ/ER £200,000. '(BT TELEGRAM!—riIESS ASSOCIATION.)

By half-past ten the flames fyacl spi'jad to tlio three-story brick building, occupied by Malcolm and Co., goneral soft goods merchants. Tho building was "separated"'from Strango's by a Harrow- right-of-way, but (ho flames seething out of Strangc's laid hold of the roof, and then ontered the windows. In a few. minutes the top" story, "of"Malcolm's' was a mass of fire, tho* flames shooting higli into tho air and roaring furiously. Water was thrown in at tho windows, but iVseemcd only to feed the fire. At this stago" tho tremendous heat of the / flames; was ■ .particularly noticeable, the-iron, bars on the windows of Strangc's glowing red and white, and, licked constantly by the" flames, "wer<> twisted into all imaginable shapes. A sheet of red-hot corrugated iron, detached from tho roof of Strange's, ...washurled "over"tiro' tops of Hayman's, tho'D.r.C., and Gill's's, and came to a sparkling'stop-'against ,Uia brick wall of Reynolds'.s and. Kinvig's establishment. Tenminutes .later,,the. part of Strange and Co.'s was merely a skeleton building. The-floors and- many .of tho inside walls had disappeared,' audi on the ground lay heaps and heaps of blazing debris. The next place attacked was the premises just taken possession of by Malcolm aiid'Co. at the rear of 'the Lichfield Street warehouse. • During ' this day p a : -large of cases of soft goods had 'been triken- into this place preparatory to their being opened out. These were eaten up in less time; thaii it takes to tell, and from every-possible-opening: tho' flames . shot but. —The-.graduaL-dying down of the fire in Strange's greatly rectujcd the heat'-on the Lichfield Street as tho only place.. then 'was; Malcolm and Co:'s. From the opposite;-ido of tho street, looking through the right-of--way,i it could be seen the buildings at the back were blazing, i SDhe scene! was.'aw'ei inspiring. Tho flames beating, high into 'the air, burning redlyj and throwing .showers of. glowing' sparks up,' and r carried along by the wind, an impression! of powor . irresistible. . . "' ' '■ ' ' ' DESTRUCTION OF MALCOLM'S DUILDIfIG. At 10.45 the flames had burst through from the top floor of-"Malcolm's into-tho seconcj! floor, whero the '"silk 'goods '. were stored. • Theso , were ' mopped up,' and bursts of fire came from the windows;. ni o anxiety was caused b'y;Mr,iMalcotrn; aid liiS assistants ontering theVwarelibusq in soarch: of tho firm's books,- but itheyiemerged safely, with: the . contents.-of; minutes iater.' the'"flames', were into tho' bbttojn story, and ,the building ,)Tas blazing from .basement,tt' ceiling; By."this time the Brigade : had ; and woro devo'tJng ' attention''t'lic'y' could. sparo to Malcolm's, as-tho Sames were! forking along the ißenjamin and\Co.'s. ~'Lin^s\'of,.'hose lay in strango array along, the !s,treats,'.Bpsuting innumerable jets of . spray.. ' Tho 'Lich-' .field- Street', was thick ,'with^spray.'-;'At '11' o'clock tho.firo on Irani- 1 age had not got irero ominous indications' that'it :was"sprfead-' 'ing at tho back.. At Sj[ir,ai)go's r .the„Jo,ngpole,'. which had hitherto prouillylsui'yiyedj'.blazed; from'butt to tip, and finally plunged into ■the flaming aliyss. Almost'' ; simultaneously : there was a'warning cry, from JJio_sp.ecta.tors,.. Look out," ;ahd a portion ;of the wall of, Malcolm's warebonso .thundered . down i into tlio right-of-way'! A, fireman, encumbered with 1 the hose,' staggered back with tho hose in'.-the nick of time.- ' The',fall was succeeded by;an, uprush, of flame, scattering',glass, and' ; tho continuous'musketrlikoVcrackle of burn-

ESCAPE OF HAYMAN'S WAREHOUSE

. " Will Hayman!s .go?".-was which tho' crowd in s.Lichfield' Street was asking, shortly after. 11" o'clock; 1 " As far as oiio could judge, tho. place\ . seemed, .to , bo doomed, yet the flamesppparks^.and;tho.-rod-hot iron'went over itf and'arqtind,'>but never, ignited it. The Brigado wcro figh'ting-iri front : of 'Malcolm's, ■ bjit-.a, „ through; • showed that little, or no. headway, was .being' made;, Some of tho firferiibn'had taliferi iVp a position along a right-of-way'"'running- be-; 1 tween Hayman's and D.; and Co.'s with tho object of defending both places from tho advancing--firo.-i Their efforts seemed to bo; successful for-n time, but finally it was observed;that-''Jho roof of-Benjamin's warehouse was oil firb.; rA'li'ead of hoso was .at'once turned that way, liut liero again, tho fire; having onco moro-secured-a-hold,-i;ena-; ciously retained it. . The through tho three top windows.,in the right-of-way, and- simply rushed: aWng the 4hird;story. ! -JA cry. was then raised' that 'tho D.I.G/' was'pn firo also, but that turned'out' to bo'nibro or !less of a falso alarm. !Xolioimb a fanlight had caught, but it was easily extinguished* apd 'danger averted for.tho. time. . At 'tho back; could'• ,^eL'>sc«n*.})laring.,fijr,i--oubl j t, and there and then it was recognised that Bonjamin's was doomed.- "With "a ~ sounding roar the flames" Burst' out 1 .of *tho end the top was a seething 'mass-of'flames.- 'This. advance was also sigrtftlised " by- a burst ( of bluish flame from \Vard6ll's; where a petroleum tank or some oil .had canglit firo and exploded. At tho rear' of Bonjamin's tho Bank ,:of Australasia sldo¥. serenely,'"apparently undamaged, up to this stage. _ WATER RUNS OUT. There was a rush into'the D.F.C. at 11)4.5 when it \ijas noticed , th&t; the skylight liail ignited. Again a'|length;:gf ,, hoso l was''dragged in, and the fight in this place,'stored ,with fancy goods, crockery, etc., begali;'The lead of water speedily' turned on this outbreak checked it temporarily, .but the heat from Bonjamin's soon'.- set'Sho';. outbreak going again. Just at '-'tho'-railway engine stationed at the corner' of Lichfield and-Colombo Streets, pumped: the sump dry, and no water was available to suppress the flames for fully twenty minutes. . Volunteers procured buckets from".tho warehouso and drow a supply from th'o sido chaniiol; -but it was almost useless to tr.v to cope with tho firo in this manner. Shortly, after midnight' it was apparent that',,, Benjamin's premises were doomed, as the fire," after putting the. top story, gradually forced its .way to the

second floor, where it soon'resolved this por-i ( tion into a raging furnace. This-partially collapsed shortly after midnight, and the floor botween tho second and third stories foil in almost immediately. Warden's store-' ' room, on tlio opposite side of the right-of- 1 •way to Benjamin's warehouse, was enveloped in huge flames, and it was not long before this building was roofless. THE D.I.C. DOOMED., In Lichfield Street between midnight and ouo o'clock tlio fire increased in intensity . .with terrific rapidity. It was about midnight or shortly after tfiai it becamo appar-. ent that tho D.I.C. building was doomed.The flames had spread to it from Benjamin's, . and first attacked the roof. With insatiable hunger they ate into tho interior, and; the wholo of the Lichfield Street front of tile building was in a comparatively diorfc spaco of time a.'seething furnace, from which" the flames rolled forth in cataracts, carrying ; with them large-sized- sparks that descended on the heads of tho thousands that crowded, tho immediato neighbourhood. Tho boards-' on top of Sargood and Company's building on the opposite sido Qf the street caught firo from tho sparks, and blazed, up fiercely, and' for a: time it looked as if that building also would bo in danger, but a troop of willing workers hastened up to the scene of the outbreak, and, for lack of hotter apparatus, ' stamped tho firo out',with their feet, and: such crude appliances as they could gather' in the emergency. The roof of Mason,; Struthers and .Company's building at the. corner of Lichfield and Colombo Streets also bccamo ignited by,' tho flying sparks, : and that .outbreak' likewise was-quickly subdued* by a number of men. Meanwhile, the D.I.C. building was blazing furiously, and immense billows of smoke and flanio rolled upwards : and poured across tlio street.' The attempts made to save this building wcro quite futile, and practically. all that the Brigade - could do with the limited quantity of water available at that'section of the conflagration was;- ■ to, stand in little groups and watch the building burn. The long liiddsr had been broughb ' up against the;front : of the building when'the flames first-leapt over from Benjamin's ,;Several ' men ■ 'ascended, hauling. tip a hose, but the water made no impression and tho flames burst out from all parts at once; A band of men, under tho : direction of Mr.j Hallenstcin, general'manager'of the v .D.1.C.,' had meanwhile been doing good' bucket ..work inside, and several of these in- • formed, a, "Press" representative afterwards ■that, a reasonable quantity of pumped water could have saved the-building. As it was, • the water failed and the building went. From| , .the floor;'tho fire quickly spread to" the'-iipper and'lower floors, and. in a short space of time the wholo of the building .was, : a seething "furnace of ilamtfs. 1 • i , A GREAT CAP. Tho. front.-, face : bulged ominously, and «s''' great gap.- appeared •»t ,'tho top between ,th<J front and the, side'walls,Va'nd for -a time, iti- . Wolced as'if the'whole front of'tlio buildingi ffould .fall outwardon. to the street. .. t Warn- ■' mg cries woro raised, and - the immensely crowd of; spectators assembled m. front, o5; tlio'burning building quickly-scampered up' arid down .'.tho - street to: positions of greater : safety. Iho warping, however,vdid not con*} tihuo to an extent sufficient - to throw tliafront wall out of equilibrium, and the ex-^ ■ -pected -'fall did - not tako place. Tho wall, however, soemcd to bo ,vory .-insecure,-' andf ; constituted-a grave source of danger. In--f ,31(10 the fury of the-- firo continued unabated, ;9pd; abovo tho:dreadful roar of tho flames r and„tho. crash of glass could bo heard loud) • . .and, liinumcrablo.reports as if thousands of • cartridgos iwero' cxploding,- this being attri-v butcd to the cracking up of glass and . ' ; .crockerywaro > stored within the building. At , /in.earlior syao;o of the fire,rwhen tho flaiios ' approaching the D.I.C. from Benjamins and Co.'s building,'a cry was raised that a* . water tank or,, boiler situated in one of the\ burning buildings between tho-two faces of j , fire was .likely.-to, burst to tho heat; and sure' enough 'a' few minutes latenta loud mnlHed : report was heard, which l . ''fcai'ised 'the'multitude to flee'.in' terror, , fol^-' ; ■ -lowed- by prolonged' hissing of the -.escaping v ' steam. ~At about twenty, minutes to one-,-water was . again obtained through oiie : - ■ branch from an- erigino pumping - from tho--.tsiiik' near 'tlio corner of Colombo and Lick- • field Streets', which had previously been! - cniptiod, but, which was being refilled by, tho / railway, engine pumping from the river. Tlio •. D.I.C.- was then "absolutely, dewmed, and: was. ! ; shortly afterwards I left t-o its fate. By this i time tho .warehouse ; of. Gill : . Bros'./.."adjoining * ' tho D.l.C.jwas in a position of great dangofi;: and tho efforts of tho brigade were directed to tho - saving 'of' this;.building,■ the object being to stem tho. tide of lire at tho right-of-way on the other, sido of Gill Bros.' bijild—' ing. There were at the most only two' heads of water available, and with these tho ' brick, \valls of .the, right-of-way. were repeatedly: soused, and for! a . timo it looked as'if tho: progress of the fire wouldl tie checked, but gradually the flames got tho: upper hand, 'and,: bursting -. out at about the middle 7 ,0f tho. right-of-way, drovo the (firemen, back, and roared in derision at the efforts mado to stop them. ' ANOTHER BUILDING ATTACKED. , •At 1 a.m. the brick building fit tlio rear of Gill Bros.' establishment was enveloped-. if flames, and Messrs. Reynolds and Kinvig's promises wcro, tho centre of interest. 'Tha : '.i. firo,was, practically speaking, all round ,tho building, but it did: not seem to gain a hold.J Tho crowd got very, excited about tho salvagers in this tall building, and bawled itself hoarse in an endeavour to niako them under- . stand that thoy wero in.danger. Tlioy were,-, howover, ho deeply engaged in tlio saving of., the goods that' they declined to recogniso' thiit , they -were',-"in%any; danger . whatever.;' Finally, a policeman .scaled; tlio teiescopia ladder and sternly ordered every,man in tho 'building;to como out. This was.effective,' and tho building was soon clear. By ai' v strango irony of fate, tho firo 1 roinsed at tlio timo to touch tho structure,- and it had not l ' at 1.15 a.m. succeeded in entering that, portion of Gill Bros.' promises on the Lichfield Street froutago. On tho west sido of Gill Bros.' wap situated a small, building occupied by Marls Woodficld,' and between that and the next; building, Gott Bros., H. B. Sorcnsori, an&; other.firms, a small right-of-way led through', to tlio yard attached to Sorensen's auction:, .- riiart., -Th-o brigado mado a determined stand, hero. The firo was blazing fiercely, throwing o# intense.heat,"and-it'' scorned'at' 1.20 a.nuthat, tho struggle was still far from finished. That this opinion ,was shared by tho shopkeepers in Colombo Street was shown by a number of them , making a start to move their shop goods, all sorts of vehicles being pressed into tho servico.. .-.. .' II | FURTHER DEVASTATION. At 1.25 tho .flames began to show out : ■ through tho roof of Gill Bios.', and in a very - short spaco of timo they had worked'down' to..tke .uppor story of the building. In tha mean'tirao the firo at tlio rear of tho building raged mth greatly augmouted forocity: : The

- right-of-way separating .GiHßros.';.from : .the throo-storied . building ■ of' tho •Wellington Woollen • Company (Messrs; .Reynolds l and 1 < Kmvig) was a -tempestuous .funnel, through which flames and smoko wero rolling'm great i volumes: Tho flnmos-m' Gillfßros.' :building i licked up the combustible material as-if it hod , : been the driest of timber. . At the rear they ■ had crossed-tho lane, and attacked-the sheds. ... bc-hind'tho Woollen-Company's.builiiing.v'iVt'l 1.30 .the water■; temporarily; failed, 1 and the. | firemon,, who had been .attacking, the front i • of .Gill's building; <wero 'rendered .powerless I after two or. three .minutes.!; 'When, water | •t was again availablo it camo.out-of tho end of tho: hydrant -practically,'aiimoro:.trickle. The^firo:had -gamed ■ considerable hold • m the moan time, and, the'futility.'of- attempting to ■, cope with itwith ' tho ; 'water available ! was : painfully evident. At.'1.35- thebuildmg was- . completely doomed;-tho.intonor being.rapidly consumed. 1 ' Tho-efforta of the Brigade were .-; now concentrated on the buildings surrounding Mr. H; yard., Those on tho east i. caught;" but- as therewas ■ -tho-- whole epaco "of: th© : yard -between-, them:, and; tho rearV of; tho. buildings fronting on Colombo Streot,': tho .Bngado!s. attention was directed . exclusively to tlie rear .portion of Slcssrs.) Jieatb and Co.'s buildings. ; s CHEGKINC OF THE FLAMES. '.-.•.The hose was sthen .brought, from .Sorenv, '■ aen's 1 yard, and turned on, to Gill Bros. 1 ' ware-. ■ house,; whore xthevfire burnt fiercely in tho , upper story. Tho/ two,hoads now m .opera- : > tjon-at. this pomt had the,effect of checking - the' flames ~somewhat-, . and-yit: seemedas ;• though.,tho i.outbreak - was-being got under. , 'ebntrol. • Tho • Brigade .then •:turned-their, at- ; ; t<intionito- RoynoTds ■ and-.Kinvig's- warehouse, ■ .-and .the..escollent'supply of -water now, avail-. :•■ ablo:preventedth<?'flames, from crossing,tho right-of-way./ •:• Shortly. • after., 2 i o'clock .■ a rumbling .noiso ! from itho eastward /of tho buildings affected announced .the falling of-tho brick; walls, of the buildings .in. the -right-of-way; botweon Messrs. P. Hayman and Co. ••• andvtho DJiC. At Gill. Bros. - the firemen were: gradually - gottmg the flames, under, ■ and : aomo f crockery m largo barrels: was. salved. : 'About 2.30 firo:in:the.western portion .of Lichfield. Street was' practically, subdued.; Some sheds at the back of tho 'Woollen :-, Company's building .wero. but :'woro , soon . outi'of - danger, though- the. debris ■on the floor of tho,D.l.C; was; blazing brilliantly. ; Tho ..crowd .. now ■■ slowly. < melted away,' tho centre, of. interest shifting -to. the- Cashol Street:;frontvof'tho' area affected.': ■. ,