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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 827, 16 February 1867, Page 2

Land Sale.-— Oa Thursday last, at the Council Chamber, the Government saie of suburban sections at West Clive, on the banks ofthe Ngaruroro, attracted a large company, and, notwithstanding the tightness of the money market, induced considerable briskness in competition for some of the lots. This was particularly the case with lots 6, 9, and 17— small lots— which, put up at £15, £20, and £20 respectively, realised £84, £96, and £167. In all, 42. sections were offered, having a total area of about 307 acres, at an average upset price of £4 15s. per acre. The sale realised in all £3478, or about £11 10s per acre. The Pukahu Block. — It wili be seen from a notice in our advertising columns that the agricultural sections iv the Pukahu Biock, adjoining the township of Havelock, are to be sold by auction ou the 19th April next. Fire. — Yesterday morning a fire broke out iv the rear building bf the Herald printing establishment. The alarm was raised at %Jo 5 by Constable Fitzgibbon, who was on night duty at the time, and who, happening to look in the direction of the Herald office from Shakespeare road, saw the inside of the building filled with flames. Two or three minutes after, they had penetrated the roof. The premises on fire consisted of a long building, comprising a stable and hay shed at one end, the bookbinder's room aad warehouse iv the middle, and the machine room at the other end. The fire, to all appearance, originated in the hay shed, but it quickly spread to the warehouse, which, being full of printed books, printing paper, binding material, and other combustible substances, was soon one mass of flame. The destruction of the whole premises seemed, at this time, to be inevitable, and the shop and dwelling house fronting the street were gutted of their contents as a measure of necessary precaution. However, water was plentiful (there having been nearly 3000 gallons in the tanks, besides a well of salt water) and willing hands were equally so. Fortunately, too, the shingles were saturated with moisture from the late rains, and there was no wind. By unremitting exertion the torrent of flame was stemmed until the arrival of the fire engine, which, drawing up in Mr. Danvers' yard, obtained a splendid supply from the well at the rear of his house, and was soon in full play. The effect was quickly visible in the flames being subdued before they had penetrated very far into, or done much damage in, the press and machine roo.m. The escape of the front premisses \yas wonderful, but certainly less marvfc'Uo us than the rescue of the one end of t.he burning building, and the saving of the* valuable machinery it. contained. j This wa s not d° ue without very great exertion as we^ as auT amouufc °*' pluck ant T we aye to thank the many who threw themselves, heart and soul, iuto the wor. k, not only that wo are in a position to pi_xblish as usual, but that a siuo-le stick of ti>e premises remains above ground. BeforO six, nothiug remained of the portion destroyed but the smouldering debris of vales of paper aud printed books. The caowe of the fire is involved in mystery ; no light had 1 been near the place the previous night, and no one had any business there. 1 The loss sustained has be.ert consider- ; able, including many printed doou--3 ments,— such as the blue book of last - session and the remainder of the edition , of the Almanac— which cannot be re- _ placed except at great cost and loss of -I time. _„ . „ , f ' Ngaruroro Bridge.— This is the day 9 for receiving tenders for the erection of this Sltyidge. '■ ' " ;