A Big Fire at Auckland.

Hastings Standard, Issue 488, 29 November 1897, Page 2

A Big Fire at Auckland.

PART OF QUEEN - STREET WHARF BURNT. AND GOODS SHED DESTROYED. THE DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £50,000. (Per Press Association.) Ai cKi,AN»j_This day. Early this morning totally destroyed the large goods shed and partially destroyed the eastern tee of the Queen-street wharf. The contents of the shed, valued at thirty to forty thousand pounds, are totally destroyed. This and the damage to the wharf brings the damage close to .£50,000 pounds. The shed was insured in the New Zealand and South British offices for £IOOO. The tee cost £IO,OOO, and is damaged to the extent of £O,OOO. The contents of the shed, 700 tons, was principally case goods, ex Rangatira. The origin is a mystery. Later. The fire was discovered about halfpast one by the watchman who saw a light as if a candle was burning shining through one of the windows. Immediately the flames burst forth and ran along the building like wildfire. Rcwe, of the Customs, passed around the shed five minutes before. There was then not the slightest cause for suspicion. An alarm was at once raised and the fire brigade and salvage corps promptly turned out, but little or nothing could be done beyond endeavoring to save the wharf as much as possibile. The shed and contents were seen to be doomed from the start. Though the alarm was promptly raised there was little need of it, the fire itself burning fierce'y as it did gave its own alarm for the sky was lit up to the horizon, while the windows of the buildings in Queen street glowed as though of burnished copper in a midday sun. The Fire Brigade and salvage corps worked admirably, good assistance being rendered by a detachment of men-o'-wars men from the Torch, and later by two further detachments from M.MS. Penguin.

As soon as the outbreak occurred the chief engineer of the Star of New Zealand got up steam on the pumps and the steamer's hose, worked under the Superintendence of Captain Reed proved of great utility. The vessels lying at the eastern tee were for a time in serious danger. In the outer berth lay the S.S. Taieri, in the inner the Northern Company's Moutai ; in the former vessel there was fortunately sufficient steam to unable her to move to a safe position. The Muritai was also taken round to the shoreward side of the jetty lying further in to the land. For some time constant vigilance had to be exercised by those on board to prevent the myriads of sparks which fell on the decks causing a further conflagration. Within a quarter of a hour of the alarm the whole shed, many scores of feet in length and breadth, was a seething furnace, the corrugated iron covering the two walls being at almost white heat, while the flames leapt many yards high. The brigades and men-of-wars men were in constant danger of their lives from the falling plates of iron which tumbled about within a few yards of them. Some of the sailors were within a foot of being struck and on one occassion a whole detachment springing back to escape the falling debris were only saved from going off the wharf by stretching their lengths on a pile of railway iron. The brigades too were always in the vau. Several had narrow escapes, foreman Clark being so hurt that he had to be taksn home. As the fire burnt its disastrous course along the line of sheds the sight from a spectacular point of view was a most brilliant one. Suddenly crowds of spectators were startled by explosions of fireworks, rockets, stars, and Catherine wheels which went far and wide. These it is understood wei*e fireworks intended for the celebration of Guy Fawke's day but arrived too late for the local market. Some of the explosions in the shed were so heavy that many of the spectators retired from adjoining tees to a safe distance. By 3 o'clock not a square inch of the commodious shed was unconsumed, while the tee itself was damaged to the extent of £6OOO. Mr Biigham, secretary of the Harbor Board, examined the wharf and found all underneath where the shed stood the fire had made its way through so that from present appearances the major portion will have to be replaced. The immense shed was piled with goods of the most valuable character, all ex s.s. Rangatira. The gear belonging to the stevedores, Nearing and Streeter was in the shed and was all destroyed. There was no insurance on them. The value of goods destroyed and the insurances are L. I). Nathan, £'•soo, principally insured in the China traders office; Hancock & Co, MQO, not insured; Fowlds, drapery, insured for £IOO in New Zealand co J. Reid, £26, insured till landed ; Warnock, general merchandise, £'3so, insured in Standard; Morrin had a shipment of £SOOO but will lose .only about £l5O, insured in the New Zealand ; Ehrenfried, £SOO, North German ; Knight, saddler, £BO, doubtful if insured ; Smith, £6OO uninsured ; Tonson Garlick, £2OO, insurance doubtful; Mackay, Logan and Cq., £4OO, partly covered in the New Zealand ; Partridge and Co., £67, not insured ; Hendell, six cases drapery, probably insured; Lloyd's and Sargood's, £6OO, insured?