GREAT FIRE AT GISBORNE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6164, 7 February 1882, Page 3

GREAT FIRE AT GISBORNE.

1/irv TELF.aiiAPn.J (from ouu owisr correspondent.) GrsnottxE, Monday. At 7M5 last evening the commencement of what proved a most disastrous conflagration started in Carr's wool stores, Oustom-houso street. It quickly spread to the Union Bank building and then to Dixon's Argyle hotel, destroying the whole blojk from the corner of Custom-house-street to Pago's hotel corner, including the Union Company's offices, Messrs Brassey and Fmser's, Mr Finn's, Messrs Pitt aud Bennett's, Messrs Graham and Co. 'a, Mr M'Farlane's hall, and several small buildings. There was , no water, and people had to stand gazing at the destruction of property without being able to render any assistance. The Union Bank's papers were all secured. Page's Masonic Hotel and Wilson's Albion Hotel and the block known as Nasmith's were with difficulty saved from destruction. The Post and Telegraph I offices and the Customs were saved by the exertions of the officers belonging to those departments. The fire burned with great fierceness, owing doubtless to the inflammable nature of the contents of some of the buildings. The stores of Messrs Carr and Sons, for instance, contained, besides wool, oil and general merchandise. The building was of concrete, notwithstanding which the contents burned quite as quickly as if it had been a wooden structure. The rapidity with which the flames leaped from building to building was astonishing. Fortunately it was a still night ; had there been any wind the whole town would have been doomed. It is quite j impossible to estimate with any approach to exactness the actual loss, buf. it is variously stated at sums varying from £40,000 to £60,000. The insurances amount to £22,380, aa follows :— South British.— Argyle Hotel, £400; Carr and Son's slock, £1000 j Union Steamship Company's office furniture, £50 ; Carlo w, Smith, aud Co.'s goods in bond, £300; total, £1750.

Victoria.— Argyle Hotel, £400; Carr and Son's stock, £1250 ; C. Smith and Ca.'s goods in bond, £350 ; total, £2000. Union.— Carr and Son's stock, £2000 ; their stock in woolshed, £250, wool press £350, and the building £150— £750 ; Pitt and Bennett's building, £250; M'Farlane's hall, £500; Union Bank building, £400 ; Graham and Co.'a stock, £275 ; 73 bales of wool, £1000 ; total, £5175.

Colonial. — Carr and Son's stock, £1250 ; Butt's furniture, £150; Pitt aud Bennett's building and stock, £430 ; Brassey's building £250 ; total, £2080. North British and Mercantile.— M'Farlane's hall, £325; Carr and Son's store, stock, and woolshed, £1650 ; Union Bank building, £400 ; Pitt and Bennett's buildings, £250 ; total, £2625. National. — Carr and Son's stock, shed, <fee, £2500 ; Graham and Co.'s store, £250 ; Union Bank building, £400 ; total, £3150. Norwich Union. — Can 1 and Son's store and Btock, £1000 ; Argyle Hotel, £200 ; Finn's building, furniture, &c. , £250; total, £1450. Standard. — Carr and Son's stock, £900 ; Brassey's building, £200 ; total, £1100. Royal. — Carr and Son's stock, £1100. New Zealand. — Argyle Hotel, bnilding, stock, and stables, £950 ; Finn's buildings, £100 ; Carr and Son's stock, £1000 ; total, £2050.