BIG FIRE AT GISBORNE

Evening Post, Volume LIII, Issue 115, 17 May 1897, Page 5

BIG FIRE AT GISBORNE

BLOCK OF BUILDINGS DESTROYED. INSURANCES £11,875. [by telegbafh— phess association.] GISBOKNE, 6th "May. The most destructive fire that has occurred in Gisborne for many years bro,ke out this morning in a large block of buildings in Gladstone-road, occupied by M. Pettie, draper; "Williams & Kettle, merchants ; Bank of New South Wales, and W. D. Lysnar, barrister. The fire swept clean through the interior of these premises, aitacking everything to " the bare walls. It was 10 minutes past five when the alarm was raised, and by this time the flames filled Pettie's show-room, which was crammed with light inflammable materials, and were bursting through the skylights in the roof. Mr. Dodds, teller of the Bank of New South "Wales, was probably the first to give the alarm. He was sleeping in a room ait the back of the bank next door, and was awakened by the roar of firo. He had barely time to save a few bank papers and his own belongings. Panned by a light westerly breeze, the . flames spread with amazing rapidity throughout the whole of Pettie's premises into the bank on the one side, and to Williams and Kettle's on the other, whilst the bond underneath, which was filled with large stocks of spirits, being all ablaze, gave body to the > flame, and made any attempt to save property included in the block futile. To the leeward side, across Customhouse- • street, was the Post Office and Government Buildings, the largo wooden walls of which had to stand a great amount of heat, but water was plaj-ed on them freety, and the fire did not spread in that direction. On the windward side there was the Union Bank, a large two-story building, and its brick party walls -«ero no doubt instrumental in saving it from damage. Both Petlie & Williams and Kettle held very large stocks, larger in fact than they have ever had, and they will consequently lose considerably over their insurances. * The bank strong-room fortunately escaped damage, and all the books and paper valuables were recovered practically uninjured. Messrs. Williams & Kettle's and Lysnar's strong-room, however, seems to have'suffered by the fire, a large iporlion of its contents, valuable documents, &c, being charred or smoked. > In Williams & Kettle's were stored large quantities of spirits, and these burning caused a very fine pyrotechnic display. Williams & Kettle had also a good stock of cartridges and sportsmen's gunpowder, which as it exploded sounded like a fusilade of musketry. The Gisborne Fire Brigade turned out very promptly, and soon had a big stream of water playing on the flames, but the fire had such a hold when it was discovered that it was impossible to make any salvage within the walls of the burning building. Fireman James Thompson slipped when fixing a hydrant and broke the small bone of one of his legs. The building was owned by Mr. Edward Murphy, sheep farmer, Te Ami. It is difficult to say how the fire originated. Mr. Pettie, when locking up his premises last night, satisfied himself that all was safe, and he cannot believe that the fire started in his place, but thinks it must have come from the cellar underneath. His shop was chock-full of new stock, which he values at £0000, £2000 above the insurances. Williams and Kettle had a very large stock of produce and general merchandise in their store. The previous afternoon they stored 160 sacks of oats. It is impossible at short notice to make up the full value of the stock, but it is known to be considerable. The insurances are as follows: — Buildings—£3ooo, Royal. Pettie's stock— £lsoo, Liverpool, London, and Globe ; £1500, Royal, including £70 on the fittings ; £1000, Commercial Union. Wililiams & Kettle's stock (in the main store)— Northern, £750; Royal, £500 ; New Zealand, £1000 ; Standard, £500; Norwich Union, £500; National, £1000, of which £750 is for stock and £250 for fittings. The stock in the bond belonging to the Poverty Bay Farmers' Cooperative Association, £200 in the National ; the stock in the bond belonging to Mr. G. M. Matthensou, wine and spirit merchant, £200 in National; Bank of New South Wales, £100, National, on stock, stationery, and fittings ; Lysnar, £125 in the North German on the furniture and law books, most of which were saved. Total insurances, £11,875.