GREAT FIRE AT DUNEDIN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 7, Issue 466, 17 February 1864, Page 1

GREAT FIRE AT DUNEDIN.

£150,000 WORTH OF PROPERTY TOTALLY

DESTROYED,

UPWARDS OF THIRTY HOUSES AND

STORES BURNT TO THE GROUND,

[Abridged from Daily Times, Feb. 3 and _.] At length, after repeated escapes that should have served as the most potent warnings, Dunedin has been the scene of what may truly be termed a "great" fire ; but which might have been kept within something like moderate limits, had there been a proper supply of water. Now, at least, we presume, steps will be immediately taken to organise a Jwater company, and so to take advantage of the six per cent, guarantee which the Government long ago promised to any company prepared to carry out an efficient scheme. .

The alarm which was peeled forth from the Bell Tower about a quarter after seven o'clock, on the morning of the 2nd February, fell startlingly upon the ear, after a day of excitement in connection with the Cricket Match between the All England Eleven and Twenty-Two of Otago ; : and especially was the alarm mow; ominous, after the two on. the previous day^Then, the wind was blowing a gusty gale, but in neither case did the fire gain any head : now the air was almost perfectly still. Had there been even a moderately strong breeze, it is impossible to guess, even, at what points the fire would have staid, or rather, would have burned itself out.

The fire commenced, so far as present information tends to show, somewhere in the rear of the premises of Messrs G. and H. Hart, general merchants near the top of Stafford-street, and on the southerly side. But -what originated the conflagration cannot be guessed ; as the store was closed between twelve and one o'clock, and remained so until after the alarm. The smoke that poured from the premises soon became very dense, showing the rapid progress of the flames ; and although, we believe, most of the papers and books were saved subsequently, it was from the fijr/st evident that the building was doomed. It was of wood, unfortunately, like nearly every other warehouse in that part of the city.

The Fire Brigade were on the spot promptly with an engine ; but there was the old and terrible difficulty. , as to water ; the flames spread mercilessly ; and soon they enveloped thebuilding. ThdHHafrengines and apparatus were brought up atfSßwby members of the Volunteer Brigade and vfl§^Ker. ; and there was a praiseworthy willingness to do, and energy in doing, what was possible ; on the part of quite as many men as could usefully work.

Adjoining- Messrs; Hart .premises on the higher side were those of Messrs Royse, Mudie and Co., who carried on an extensive business as merchants, in addition to being agents for .the vessels of Messrs M'Meckau and Blackwood of Mel-; bourne. There was a' very heavy stock/of good, in their, place ; and upon its', bilk, scarcely any impression could be made before the 'flames had extended to the building. . ' l ' On the lower side of Messrs Hart's,- was the shop of Mr James Mills, gunmaker, and' it -was blazing very soon after Messrs.' Royse, Mudie and Co's premises ; but what powder, there was'in the.shop had been got away to a safe distance before this time,; and Mrs Mills and her children were also safely away. ' ' •'

The conflagration now looked likely to be terribly destructive ; for the stillness of the atmosphere gave place to a slight motion ; and while it was impossible to predict from what quarter the breeze would come, it was plain that if it came from the north or east, the whole of the great block bounded by Stafford-street, Hope-st., Walker-st. and Princes-st., must in all probability be destroyed. What water could be got was Bven now useless as an effective check to the flames in any direction, even for a moment ; and there was no one at hand to take the responsibility of pulling down a belt of warehouses and other buildings, so as to afford a hope that the fire m^gSit be circumscribed thereby. '.' Almost at the same moment, the flames extended'downward to the shop of'G. I. Merrie, tailor, and upwards to three small buildings occupied by Mr. J. Lairig, restaurant keeper, Mr. Thomas Oakenful, bootmaker, and Mr. James J. Morani storekeeper. The next places on the lower side that would fall, were the offices of Messrs. Mills, ;Diok. and Co., general printers, and also printers" Of the Eve niny Star and Daily

News ; and the store of Messrs Tickle and Co. On the upper side, only the store of Mr Colman, grocer, remained between the burning block and Hope-street ; and already the extensive bonded store formerly belonging to Mr Casper, which, fronted Hope-street, and extended to a considerable depth, was burning. The wind, fortunately did not grow strong, and what there was of it now showed deuidedly that it was coming Irom the south-west, and so tending to limit the fire to the buildings named, unless, indeed, the breadths

of Stafford-street and Hope-street could be overleapt. The store of Messrs Youngman and Co., opposite Messrs Royse, Mudie and Go's., smoked freely, as its wooden front dried and scorched in the fierce heat. But the jet from one of the engines was turned upon it, and danger in that quarter was averted.

The sight about this time was grandly terrific. The burning stores contained such inflammable compounds — including spirits, and kerosine and other oils, as well as saltpetre and- miscellaneous drysaltri es, — that the flames • were not only constantly shooting up to great' heights; always accompanied by an intensified glare, but the compounds lent rich hues and tints to those greater flames which made the whole look like some Cyclopean pyrotechnic display. And there was more. There was that " awful voice of flame" which generally comes from any quickly and well-fed conflagration. The whole was a thing to be remembered mournfully. The showers, of not simply sparks, but of burning masses of wood aud textile fabrics that fell over Hope street, were exceedingly unpleasant and dangerous, especially to the poor people whose residences had been destroyed or threatened, and to their bedding and household effects with which these streets were lined.

But most happily, the quarter whence the slight wind came gave time — and time only could enable something effectual to be done to check the spread of the fire. Messrs. Mills, Dick, and Co.'s offices ignited while the types, presses, &c, were being got out ; but at last all the arrangement. for pulling them down were completed, and out the front was pulled, to the effectual demolition of the whole. The debris was cleared off, and there was room to hope that Messrs. Tickle's place was saved.

But still danger, threatened in another direction. Mr. Coleman's store was burning more fiercely than any of those already destroyed, and the flames were hissing and crackling about and from Mr. Casper's in a way that showed that its combustion would be still more vivid and rapid. Below this store, and fronting Hope street, were the British dining Rooms kept by Mr. Hutchinson; the Temperance Dining Rooms of Mr. Moran ; and one or two smaller erections. Backing close against the side of Casper's store, were two row 3 of cottages belonging to Mr. W. Hooper, to which access was given by a right-of-way known as Hooper's Lane. These cottages were in flames, and a group of low shanties and sheds was in danger of catching momentarily. Those sheds aud shanties would have carried the flames, on one hand, to some large stores in Stafford street, and on the otlier (aud worse still) to the stables of Messrs Cole, Hoyt, & Co, which stretch across almost from Stafford street to Walker street, and which would have served as a conductor of the flames to Messrs. CargilFs stores, and so into the line of Princes street. Then, scarcely a yard of the entire ground- block within the four street boundaries named, could have been left covered with other than charred ruins.

Mr. Joseph Mills, whom we have on previous occasions had to mention with high praise for his ta-. t and daring in such matters, saw not only the danger but the means of (humanly speaking) averting it. He represented both to Mr. Cargill ; and that gentleman and others desired him to carry out his plan, guaranteeing that he should be held harmless. He almost instantly collected volunteers for the task, and in a short time five or six erections were levelled with the ground. They included three cottages belonging to Mrs. Ke'arne, on. belonging to Mr. Walker, of the Royal Hotel, and one owned by. Messrs. Cole, Hoyt, and 'Co. -.Then an open space -was left, and there was j.bope.'that.th'. .extent of. the fire was defined. '-. About the same time, a small pottage which fronted .Hopestreet, and stood'on the opposite side of the righ.t-ofsw.ayi .mentioned, was pulled down, and thus -a. •check was put to. the likelihood of the flames rounding : the jcorner into Walker street. -..The bonded, store ■-.spoken ,-prT. as Casper's was really the pr.op.erty __'-Mr_.W.'" t P.le, who was also the owner of several thousand' pounds worth of goods therein.. The sale of the store was effected very recently indeed.. Another instance of a similar kind occurred with. Messrs. Hart, who, only at the end of last week bought and paid for the interest of their then partner, Mr. Robinson. Mr. Pole, we regret to hear, has suspended payment and called a meeting of his creditors.

We have been totally unable to arrive at anything like a reliable estimate of the loss caused by the fire. Our commercial column contains a statement that it will not exceed £40,000 to £50,000. But we were assured yesterday that it is not an over-estimate to set down from £80,000 to £90,000 as the value in Casper's (or Pole's) stores, while heavy losses (enumerated) resulted from the destruction of the other buildings. As. to the amount insured in the different offices we oan speak with, more certainty. The following are the results of enquiry from, the agents : — Mercantile, £2,400 j Liverpool and London, ,£5,000. ;. ; R0ya1/ £3000 ; New Zealand, £2000 ; Otago,' usde*;:£s6o ; and Australasian, we believe, about These figures give a total of £14,400.; and the _act that

it bears so small a proportion to that what must be feared js the loss, is unquestionably to be atMbUtpd primarily to the disinclination of various dffloe. to grant policies,' or their extreme carefulness hi doing so; which .bust again .be greatly due to the fact that there is no water supply.

... An inquiry into the origin of the late great'fife in' Stafford and Hope-streets was commenced yesterday afternoon, by Dr. Hocken, coroner. The jury assembledat Harding's Union Hotel, Stafford street, and>Mr. James Miller was.chosen foreman. Some officers Of the police force, including SubI__pec.br Percy, were examined ; as was also Mr. Edward Holmes, storeman to Messrs. Hart.' Tt turns but from this witness' evidence that he was in the store within an hour and a quarter of the discovery. His account of why he went will be found in our report elsewhere ; from which it will also be seen that Holmes was flatly contradicted by another witnessin one important state'ihent.' The inquiry stands adjourned^ until tomorrow afternoon. — Daily^Times, February 10..-