The Auckland Fire.

Hastings Standard, Volume V, Issue 1424, 15 January 1901, Page 4

The Auckland Fire.

(By Telegeaph.j Auckland, January 14. There is little doubt that the fire of yesterday is among the most disastrous ever recorded in Aackland. The properties affected were those of Bond and Bell, (Jommerce street, the large bonded stores of L. D. Nathan and Co. at the corner of Custom street and Commerce street, and the adjoining property of G. W. Owen and Co., Custom street. Other properties, including T. Macky and Co's in Commerce street, and W. S. Laurie and Co's, in Custom-street, suffered a good deal of damage, but the fire was practically confined to the three buildings first mentioned, which cover together about 120 ft of frontage to Commerce street and about IGOft to Custom street, L. D. Nathan and Co.'s store being by far the largest of the three. The total loss cannot be far short of £90,000, the insurances covering all but about £21,500 of which loss some £20,000 falls upon L. D. Nathan and Co. When the firebells rang out Bond and Bell's building was in a hopeless blaze, the flames having apparently caught the whole of the interior and burst through the roof and windows. A glance showed that L. D. Nathan and Co.'s store could not escape. When the brigade arrived the fire Lad a hold on the upper floors of the building at the corner adjoining Messrs Bond and Bell's. In the building in which the fire originated the flames soon played themselves out, the whole of the interior being consumed with marvellous rapidity. But before tho fire died down in this quarter it had a firm hold in L. D. Nathan Co's. store, and for three hours it blazed furiously, gaining strength with every minute till about a quarter past six, when it was at its height. By this time the fire had a footing in all four floors of the building, which, except for a portion of the two lower floors at the Custom street corner, was one mass of seething flame, while Owen and Co's. building adjoining was also completely in the grip of the devouring fire. One after another of the heavily - laden doors of L. D. Nathan and Co.'s store had given way with a thunderous crash, and there was little left but the bare walls and brick partition embracing the hungry sea of flames. The conflagration at this time presented a most majestic sight, the whole stretch of Nathan and Co.'s building and Owen's building being one mass of flames. The roofs had given way, and the flames were consuming the contents of the stores at an amazing rate, leaping high in the air and defyiug the best efforts of the fire brigade to reduce their volume. Two hours had passed since the alarm was given, and in the most thickly built quarter of the city, with a fairly strong breeze carrying the flames from !>oint to poijt, it was impossible to say where the fire would stop. W. S. Laurie and Co's building adjoining Owen and Co's was at one time in great danger, but fortunately this was saved, and by a little after 7 the fire had done its worst. The adjoining properties, though damaged to some extent, were saved from utter destruction.