FIRE IN THE CITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 7

FIRE IN THE CITY.

A SATOIX mil \ ■ . .• 1 ? ;• •• • / BL<j>CK OF BUILDINGS DESTROYED. DESPERATE FIGHT WITH THE - FLAMES. 'About 7 o'clock last oveiung tho vicinity of Court on ay Place was illumined by tho glow of a firo wliioli-had broken out in the Puketapu..; Sawmillrag Company's (late -Messrs-Halloy. and Ewing's) promises, which aro situated botwocn tho , thoroughfare namod and Victoria Street, next to Messrs. Stewart and Company's big sawmilling'works. , When discovered Itho flanies had got a'good i/hold of ', tho old .wooden boiler-house, whiqh i stands immediately, behind the • l)locli of brick i buildings ownod by .Mr. Thos. Young, solici'tbi*,' which front' Coyrtenay! Place.., Tho' fire. ' V ,' ; ;:tliori .'was :blazing'' w'ith ugly fioroenoss, 'licking . up 1 tho. old timbers of, t'ho .building, -'.the.:,; 1 ;; shavings, and m'scollanoous staoks of. tiin-., ■; V.V ber;;in| ;tho_ vicinity, ,aml;.by the., .. ... time thq Drigado Vfwo aWo to bring their forces .into, full play .tho flames -lyero dovour- ~; ing the big:Lt>vo : stirifcd'.>woodqn-ifactory iitr ::' '' v tached'-'to the northern sides of ...tho, boiler- '•, house,' and had crept along a ( landing into ... au open shod,where thoy found palatable food among a ' big('"stack .ofVßcasonod , timbor?-", .dressed stuff, consisting, of heart of rimu skirtings,, architraves, ;;vhd this finer wares of. ,'. v tho ■ timber,' industry, which 1 soon became ■a' . | , ' roaring, crackling, bonfire, kif this' stage tho flames: wero: boing fiught from an entrance to tho 'timber yard from lower Taranaki . Street, 'and. !tho'.; fiWm'on's ' task, was beset■ •'-.'■ v' At, least :two leads were ■ pouring CMqides.of/'W'^ter,oil. to, thet blazing : - -'building-' Md-tixbiiier^from:.''tliat:"^sitiQVi,vajiid ! .r' I _:i another! was', being directed, on -to - the seabj 1 . '• •of v'tt'o;' ; firo, \iiowV a raging- mass'-qf ;'flame,;V :. fanned idirectiy; onv.to tho line bf shopprch > 4 niises,.iri';frpnt..by'.the brisk .north' Westerly .i.;:. .hreczq.blowing,y -■ ; ;r] ■ -'.V}

STEWART'S IN DANCER. danger' in/all; directions save <; \V towirds''tlic 'harbour.*' .Great volumes'*of'grey-, - black-smoke, starred .'thickly,.with big spaiks, ; rolled angrily over Stowart and Co.'§, big timbor depot, separated from tho bln/'ing null, - by a futilo ten-foot palmg fenco. Thoro wore anxious ones among the. crowd whomever gave ■ Stewart's; a chance,, but firetncn, on . j;;; that sido kopV-O'finohead of wator on the !( ... bronch the firo had i nindo in■ tbo fence and, tho stacks of timber against it aijd though 'tho flarhestitp' 'somo distance- into Stowart s . - stack- nearest to tho burning boiler-house, . . ..., then ravages in that direction were. gallantly,. v; ...- dhccked,''whilo4ho firm's o}viilioso°w;as kept . . Vl , 1 playing oil the sea of timber stacks that lay i direction tho firo would ha\o taken had-it'broken-bounds eastward. »• , THE rRONT BUILDINGS GO. ' In lho meantime .the" flames from tho fao* tory had msort-qd hungry tongues through tho back windows of tho Uo-stoncd bnck block, and \\ith those shattered,* and a fine . , •broezo. blowing -the firo ,rigl)t. in,,.tho. entire , ~... . structure iv:is gutted-in. tho. space..of. a. ;fow .. :....... • minutes, and^ip.loss -than,..that timoi bani|ois .. . ■of flame were : flying: from upstairs [windows . • that 1 ' overlook" Courtenay Place, a hero soveral 16a(W of'h'oso, playing fine heads of tfa(or,'".dKl seemiiifely 'cqiuljp,.

; A GREAT FIGHT. It was atithis point that tho firomcn put up.a>really inspiriting fight.v:ThQ flames that , .- v ,. : ,. wallowed against tlio bade ;of.' tho building....... •, seemed to bo sucked in tho windows by tkq draught, and to rush right through tlie < building'.! tfl a'. vanishing f r pgint. outside tho front'windows,- whioliS moroly..became flame-. \ onts for tho furnace withm. On either side ' of Mr' Young's' briok block, stood some old. > , . wooden "sfiops, strictures of * which only tho oldest inhabitant could."tell tho iOrigm, two , of these,* to tho cast of tho bricW b\iildmg, being- qcoupied ,by Mossrs i "Warwick and Roborts, plumbers, and Mrs M Sinclair, vogotablo and firewood aud coal doalcr Theso •places, winch do not extend so far back, •woro sheltered from the flames by tho brick v walls 'of the burning building;, but the .shop , - : to tho westwaj-d, 1 occupicd by Mr. Jjqvy ■'< (second-hand.: dealer),.,-, an- otnpty.-shop lately occupiod by Mr Thompson, jeweller, and tho confectionen's shop of Mr. Leonard Ka'no' foil easy victims to'tho fioryonslaught. that attacked them ' maliciously, m, tho rear. . So effective was tho work of tho Brigade that they actually sL\ od ffom ,totAl destruction the next adjoining wooden building, tho Victorian Dining Rooms (kept ;b,Y Mrs. .Holly), though, of course, tho guiding is considerably. i daniagwl by tho Jiro .and itf .' olemcnt liils'was no eas) matter, for time after time the entire, front and ,half, of,, the . street'. v'oro completely..blotted L out by. "the:, dense smoke,, shot .with flaming .. bitS ithat ~.. choked tho atmosphorc,' causing tho oyes tc 1 'smart-andwater, and the hrpath. to.,oat<;h.,. u .., SALAMANDERS AT WORK.

■ High up, on the verandah-tops, in the thick. ■ , . of this smothei, worked tho firemen, strug- - glmg with tho loads nnudst the choking blackness One man, who was noticed working like a demon, breathed smeko like a veritable salamander, until ho almost oo 1 - lapsed Hb wis ordoic<l oft tho job, and stood back on the streaming' wood-blocks, trembling and sweat-stained, and jet straining to got'back'to- work, .'Only.'the a.uthon- . tativo hand of an officor kept him back for a few minutes. Then, when iolcasod { he bolted across tho blooks, and wns soon battling again with tho best of them It was only an incident, but it demonstrated graphically tho spirit-that animated the Brigade during ' last night's/battle./. : :' ;, v;y ;V. 1 -THE FIRE ARRESTED. ■ - Such efforts soon told their tale < By 7.45 p m \ho firq was practically in hand, and |t -pnly meant: keeping • tho : hoses, going, to effect a " black-out "-all dangor of a spread \yas at an end Floojs and minor wooden partitions continued ,10. fftl.l-- jn ~nt.. J.rrogujar. , intervals as tho supports were chewed Way, making excellent pyroteehmc displays/ , , , but t'licro was a handy load for each of them, and gradually tho blackness of charred timber succeeded tho scarlet danger, and the excitement and clangour of the fire wcro over. At tlio rear tho piles of valuable timbai still smoked, and ovon" broke' out into spiteful little flame spots, but tho hose was, too, ready,, -- and tho guiding hand too steady'for further trouble to onsue. At 9 o'clock, there .was ~,. only a dull smoulder where .tho flames-had v. 'ruul r :';V' v i-.- -;*.l-^;V-/'- "''.'VV "■ i viWTHE DAMAGE. It is impossible at this juncture to ; say v.; who is tho heaviest' loser, by.; the firo.j. It , is only about two years: ago. that; tlio old'established sawnnlling business of Messrs.: 'Halley and Ewmg was taken over b> tho Pukotapu Saw milling Company (of which Mr. Chaso-Morris is managing directoi). Since that timo tlio Company ]iad been making improvements nil - their : plant/, and only ;v----quite recently,had installed, a fiiio.M'Dowell . - .(18ft.' ? '4ft.).' planing maclimo 'and a new. v ■boiler" by Messrs. Luke and

Co.). . The boiler-house: (whore tho fire 'broko out),-a largo, wood and iron- shed, is said ' _,to. havo,beon erected some 37 / jrears;ago, and i tho (which conducted-the' flames to tho street-faemff buildings) was nearly as ancient. . On. tho ground floor of .1 ~ this .building wero. tho saws and planers, , etc., connected with the industry, and upstairs was the joinery factory .of Messrs. . , Howio and Matthews, the wcll'known con- ; tractors,' who-loso everything. Mr. Chase- - ;:- ' Morns informed a-Dominion representative - , that .-he . thought' thero Tyas .'about,. £1500 i (£750. each) insuraiico-,on-.,the factory and dressed timbor in tho Atlas and ltoyal Bx- ■ ; . ch'ango'oSices.' but could -not'bo sure without » ' -.-""looking: up tho -papers, ilt; was expectod- ■ i. that rthc- damage. would exceed that amount by .the look of• tinner's. . /.f.. The .engineer m chargo of the boiler was 1 - who ■ has-been :iir, the - v . -Eame ! placo .on- the same work for- a. period vv :oj.';.t>yonty-seyen Tyears'/'.and; ,so.'far. as-'was: . known, by those of - a . little , knot of 'interested'' > -.; -without a mishap of 'any. kind. He usually :.locked up and left;the place;at a quarter- ' r . past fivo/'Vand-wheii' he Icft.'at' that time V.. :: last.'-. !Eveningthere ;iwas, ; .nothing-:; visihlo n ;.to' : • .account for tho; outbreak. •- - y ■■■: : Mr. J. Sinclair, ■ foreman, said that Avlieiv : he had , a look'■ rauiid; after ; ftye: .'o'clock .everything• was all-right.- The;reporter was j - told that no smoking .was allowed m the ' . boiler-house, factory, or yard. l On the.other /• hand, thero aro alv/aj"? heaps of shavings .":f : :'v^-';,v-;and inflammable, 'matter'. tirri-. -. ber< yard j and .factory, .and 'an -unnoticed \ ' spark' may 'account .for .thousands of pounds '■ 'i.worth of damage. . - Among those active m dirrcting.the efforts of the Brigade" in the j'ard- was Mr. James -Stewart, of tho Wairarapa,--who is a direct«r of tho Company. . THE SHOP PREniSES. .;; : Mr., Thomas Young's two-storied : brick building •is . divided - into.-throe • largo, well- , • : appointed shops:,: The ,one nearest- Messrs.. Stowartiand Co';'s mill. : .was occupied by Mr'. --.■■■: , Tester-- as a .tobacconist and /hair-dressing. ■ : ---l^establishment.- -. ting • a .good. deal. of. his-.stock-any'fittings out. vHo - had, an -,insurance •of £300 over \ bis -coods,- but - estimates his loss at • about- '£■- 4i150.■/ Anreye^witness. who .saw: the saivageis ; :-> at work in' tho tobacconist's. 'shop states/that ! -■' the crpwd went . mad'; and'literally ".wrecked , S evcrythihg. that' came within their reach. .; •• A good numoer of small articles were stolen . .... during the excitement.. Tho' Wellington' ! ; .-. yPipavßand occupied-part of Mr. • Testers, ■; ; ■'. l .tobacconist's,shop, and. suffered some slight • : ■ /lbss* of -physical, culture gear and, swords.ffipi^vMr.VElpatridi^:ygrpcor ; '- (fOTinefly;' of ,the; : . -:.firm .. of ,<Kllpatnck and Campbell) occupicd 1 tlio 'middle 'shop.' ; It is -understood- that he .' :y j •• lost practically - everything.//: till.- a - fow. , v days: ago the'third shop was - occupied by 51o3sfs.;' / -'Nicol,'Stringer,-'': v j "•;-v painters;" paperhangors, and vhouse decora- j tors;-but thoy had.Temoved|reoently, and. tho i : premises had - been leased to Mr.; L. Hoaly, 1 . - draper,- - who.;ihad, .'it- is -understood,'not: : Bi-ocked the shop "v; Tho. building itself was crectod for: Mr. , Thomas. Young (of tho legal firm or :: '. 1 . nndv-.Tripo): abput vthreo years ago- by:- Mr:, j.. .from..tho. plans of Messrs. Peiity ' and Blake.; It was : woll insured in tho ■: 'Phoenix Office , , 1 ;.; .. Mr.' Levy,. secondhand dealer,, and. Mr!.' VLeonard TKaiie, .'3 'V;:;:','-: ■' B'aop bitwc-en) ,i}ccupied 1 the' next two-storied i/0:U;-.;;Tro^n;\;'buildiiig^ftwhwhc: : w^f^tptall^' 1 • etroyod. Kano. romoved a good .'deal', of: ■» ■Wi backVpemisesi-: Ij . - wore -destroyed;-.. He was "uninsured. - v Somo ••t ntufit was also' removed from • tho ' sccond- 'i hand , shop .' and Mrsi-.liolley's dining-rooms: ( This property^-is said- to'.ho.a/Nativoireservo'ii -I ; . a lease l .: of - which is. held by Messrs. - Kirk-' ' ; . and- Wilson,. solicitors.-: The 'insurances wero not last evening.-:" Thanks to a v'dcfinitely 'direct-cd: brecso and. the'effort-s of- "

j' • V! ... tho Brigade; at , the rear,, therMessrs* 4 Dwan ,! Bros.'s new Egmont l'rivato Hotel,\situated ;;■:■. i nest to tho dining-rooms (on tho• corner >of i : .-Courtenay Place and Lower ..Taranaki Street), escaped unscathed.. Mr.'.Thompson;, a watch- : : -. - makcr.yand./jeweller;: who s has taken' a shop' block' n l a 1 few days ago ' , , Tho i timber (Orogon pino) burned in ■ Stewart and.- Co.'s. yard, nest to tho' y. dividing fence, "was uninsured. .i . A SNEAK TfUEF. : v The salvaged goods - wero pilcd'up oa- tho r road- opposite the: sceno, of i'the: fire,' \nd' ■ guards wero; set. up -.to/keep off tho lightlingered. .Notwithstanding :• tho precautions ■v :takenj: a _fewi things: were, removed,' and one in -the'actiof-,'getting~'away"' j:',.;: l.v' custody "" HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE IN DANGER. '■ Tho - nor til - wgs ter ] y breezo ; was carrying ir? ... large, pieccs': of- burning • wood'.,and ' sparks' :: ,: across: tho ■; road: and.' on to the . roofs: ot • tho fc-isv-i adjoining buildings!.; ,A little.: after 8:o'elock. [:■: ■: -it was. found-that .the roof of ,His Majesty's jff'<; Thoatro; had S.takeh /A' lnicket ibrigade fif..- was quickly:.at work,- and after'three' or four: , sheets of .corrugated iron had' been'rraaoved fj::; -fv; the- flames ;wcre'.put olit. Th'o»b'ack portion fe,of the..'.stage:.was,:floodedi:as.tlie'result"of-.tho' ' - use*of 'a'hose ifromitho' inside.'of'tiie^^•building!: * A GREAT CROWD. r '< : -. Sp^sito r all M parts';"of '..tile :. ••. town- to witness - the conflagration. ' Every if-.- : street loading on* to the scene of..the-.oilt- ■ ■ break poured its hundreds into Courtenay , ' . Plac euntil thousand wero watclung .. tho'; march "of the' flames; The •' streets ' wero ' -'tho '- mclre- adventurous IscaW ,-tlid','f6nce ! ;at Stewart and '^pmpaiiy'sitifiberVyafd.M ;V.m:'^e-;-tim^r^acksV l --.''4'!'Here^ i itey? ; :'^e'. V'ran^; ; ;meni : ;Wpmen/;airid:cHildr(m -- tier,' like spectators 'at : a ; 'circufeit 'was' a • good show.' . " : ; T^Xv MINOR ' Tho. showers of "sparks which' 'were', carriod . across-.the.rOad; : ,by; tha, v wind Jresulted' iii'at p, -.i-least .'two., minor-, outbreaks;"-:: :A .qVantity. of iS:;:':Str^:in ! frMit;of:Wiclii6's blacksmith's-shop,: v:?;near/Hiß 'MSics£y's' : i'hea£re ) >as.'^ . ... was : put out/without. much trouble.'' Tho : ;'E: ¥14-/vToTaylor, aiid;.Co'.'s building-alsb'caiight, j '.but -was'put; out' bef orov' ainy • damage' ;was S::;'''j;doii<S^.- : '.I:''::/':'

INTERVIEW. WITH SUPERINTENDENT HUGO. A Dominion reporter was accorded a brief I'/'' interview" by -Superintendent Hugo at: 11.15 ;:;.p.ml,','just prior .to ih'o). return: ;to'the; station' ' ' , of tho brigade-motor , engine. 1 • . ■ ■ *• ''When, we reached tne scene of'the outi ,break,!' . said the Superintendent, ."the lire -,wiioh' originated in:tie' middle 1 of ■ the Puke- ; Co. 1 s-timber: yard,' had *ob- , ■ : tamed; a -strong' hold. However, "tho" water ~.. supply was excellent, and, with , the- aid- of i■. nino- deliveries, .-the 'tiro-was! got under con:.trol within half an' hour. ',;-. Several'-firemen ; „? ;: sustained minor; injuries 'of. an* ordinary , kind. -- It.is-impossibleat:that-juncture tft estimate the extent of the damage." A SECOND CALL. '■ -i Whilst-tho big .fire was at its-height the brigade,received a second, call'.to'a dwelling Kcupiod by -Mr. ,\y.: Ramsay, /18 -. College jV; Street. •It is stated that a spark from - the j-; ■ : big fire was carried-through an opea-.window. | : ; in, Mr.' Ramsay's * house'andr'set: nre to some | V-bedclothes. - Damage'to;:the',extent : 6f 'about £35 .was done before the firo was got under. , The furniture;,was'insured'in'the Iteyal office for £150. , NOTES. During/the.early progress of the > fire, !"■" danger threatened that tho shop 'of Mr. •: 13rady, pairitcr- and paperhanger, on tho _opI' ■. ' posite '• side' of . tho road, next ; 'to His fc. Majesty's Theatre,'..would also ' become a-prey v " to the flames. ■■-. Tho wind was bearing hun- [■" drods- of sparks in this direction, and several i times - tho ridge .■ of- tho wooden. verandah,-| ' which .was. old and frail -.. as tinder,'. was !;: actually ablaze. The ■ flames ■ were beaten I ! v . out-each time, and finally-.the' end section | ; of the verandah was stove in to -roduce tho : risk of the ignition; • A hoso was also I : ■ played on the si'do of the shop. ' I i- : : His.' Majesty's Theatre, as a very..old f ' wooden building .in the direct line of sparks; i !'■■■-: was also in some danger., An.-.immense [ crowd congregated . in. front of the theatre ft-v - to watch the fire, which proved too strong a counter-spectacle to allow the usual- patroni / . age of the moving pictures .within. - A crowd of* several thousand persons in t ; Courtenay Place was. oxcellently managed I by the- DQlice.'';-A:.clear-«naoe.:«rßs^ro£ed.-og^

:for .tho protection of the public and operations,of.'the Brigade. Inspector Ellison, SubInspector O'Donovan, and most of tho defectives'wore "present, and there was a good muster of tho firo police, who did useful servico. Tho crowd covcrcd tho ; fonce and buildings of.Y;tho. enclosure' at Taranaki 'Street,' and occupied points of advantage on all the roofs and fences m the neighbourhood of the .-fire!'.'.' ; ' . ' ■ - THE COURTEVAY PL\CE riRE ,:.Firo : is.,-a giwl eei-yant, but a bad master, is ; an-'old* tidago .which should not be 'forgotten. ThtfJ;itoei»Kpot)lic,''.'ft'ro -being' reminded of thi.s-every day, aiid it ! behoves those who wish tb' keop'ivaliiables of. all 'descriptions secure:to invosi in "a'Cliubb's Safe or 'Strong Room Door, ..which;• always -: keep "their -contents t'iritact. iCli'iibb's ~ Safes . are known .throughout the world. Lares stocks arc held by .Tames Dykes, Attorneys - (of Giialter, JJykes, and-. Co.) for Chubb's Safe ami Lock Company, Limited, London, and-. Wijlverhanipton. - 82-50 • : .The - serious ' outbreak of, fire -.last 1 - night is ■just, another- verr.gobd, reason why everyone ■in! biisineM a reliable and -F.ire.resisting ' Safe.; .Jplin Taiih's Safes .have stood the-test: of, 'o'iir most severe fire's, \ namely, the lasti serious " outbreak od .Lambtoh -Quay. . Tho ,hqst ; advice..-,wa' ca,n-' now: offer ;is that, youcon-', ■sult-us ammpdiately -wjthurogard to-safeguard-•i%in:'.the'.'.fntnre. :.bjr.v supplying-- one of '- our TALL-RESISTING, FIRE-RESISTING, .: aiul BURGLAR-PROOF SAFES. /Sole Agents for N6w ZealandSargo6d, . S6n • and .Ewen," Ltd. T-Adyt.' "' '• "l '' '' ' : - ' / 8260