A GREAT BLAZE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1908, Page 7

A GREAT BLAZE.

IN A CITY'S CENTRE. DISASTROUS OUTBREAK If 3 CHRISTCHURCH. WAREHOUSES DEMOLISHED^. FINE HOTEL DESTROYED. INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY; DAMAGE HALF A MILLION. ■; [BY TELEGBAPF. — PHESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, This- Day. The most disastrous fire for many, years broke out last night at 10 o'clock". It began in the furniture department of Strange and Co.'s large drapery establishment at the corner of High asd Lichfield streets. Strange's is a wedge of buildings fronting east and south, and running westwards down LichfieH-street, and northwards along High-street. In Jack-field-street are many wholesale warehousss, nnd in High-street adjoining some of the most important retail busij nessea in the town. j The fire had evidently got established j before discovery, and Boon began to I spread. All the fire appliances wens • soon out, and tile brigades were taxed | to their utmost ability, but they soon found the contract too > large. MARVELLOUS RAPIDITY OF THE FLAMES. The flames ran which, marvellous rapidity from Strange's three-story brick building to Malcolm and Co.'s warehouse in Lichfield-street ; thence po the back portion of P. Hayman and Co.'s, thenco to D. Benjamin andCo.'s, and after ravaging these warehouses attacked the D.I.C. This establishment runs right through, from (iafihel-dLrect to Lichfield'6treet, and was coon a muss of flame which, traveling with bewildering rapidity, j seized Ashby, Berfjh, and Co.'s iron* j mongery, gutting it in a short time. All the while the fire was at wprk in ths D.I.C- and buildings aJteady mentioned. SERIOUS POSITION INTENSIFIED. WATER TANKS GIVE OUT. Thing 6 were *ow looking very serious. All the water tanks in {he vicinity had given out and tho engines had to be taken to tho Avon River. The delay wa-s disastrous. Tho fira licked up ' Tribe's drapery shop, Hulbert and Slaymaker's tailoring . establishment, Free■man's tearooms, Williamson'? drug, store, Tucker's jewellery store, ■ and, gathering in fioroenesa and force as it went, began to assault the Whits Hart Hotel. This fin© building was only re-erected three yeors ago in brick and white stone, but a. comparatively few minutes served to see it ruined and gutted from floor t» efiliag. A FORTUNATE COLLAPSE. t Hallenstein's Clothing Factory followed, anoVths flames only stayed here by the collapse of Hallenstoin's, which allowed the brigade to get at the walls of Bcath and Co.'s drapery', store. This was savod, and its salvfttipn we^nt also that of the Al Hotel at the corner of Cashel and Colombo streets. WITH LIGHTNING- SPEED. Meanwhile the fire wjuj' {jetting in its work with terrible vigour in the centre of iho block which is pierced by rights* of-way leading to the wholesale warehouses already mentioned. The fiii© worked with lightning sptsed, topguiis going out and licking up buildings ia irregular order, but in tho mbin confined to parts of the block indicated. Warden's fine building facing Highstreet at tho cornar escaped 30 far as the front portion was concerned, but the back was gutted. Maine's boot shop, also went, and also the Anglo-Special bicyclo shop. CONQUERED AT LAST. By half-past two the fire was conquered, but not bofore it bad left a scene of desolation unmatched iv the 1 city'i * history. The less is tremendous, and cannot bo estimated yet. It is variously '.stated at from a quarter to half a million. Tho insurances are said to 1 be large.; ' ' '„' At least a thousand people, will be out of work. . . * '