DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7621, 20 December 1886, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

IMMENSE LOSS OF PROPERTY. A disastrous lire broke out in Napier at about ten minutes to ten o'clock on Saturday morning, resulting in the total destruction of over twenty buildings and ■ partial damage to many more. The lire originated in the small yard in the rear of Messrs Banner and Liddlo's largo twostory building in Tennyson-street, and was discovered by Mr Banner, who went , into the yard for some purpose. At this . time the fne was nothing but a small bonfire that a bucket of water or a couple of hand grenades wouldhave extinguished. A quantity of straw was in the yard, the debris resulting from unpacking several large cases of furniture, principally bedsteads, and it was this straw that by - some means became ignited. How or why it should have become on lire will probably never be known, as it was only the accidental visit of Mr Banner to the yard that led to the exact locality- where the fire started ljeing discovered. But for this it would have been difficult or impossible to say whether the fire started inside the store or out of it, or on the premises of Banner and Liddlo or Hoadley and Co., as so rapidly did the flames spread that in what seemed but a few moments the fate of more than one building was sealed. Immediately he discovered the fire Mr Banner rushed to the store to procure assistance, and to raise an alarm. In less time, however, than a description of what took place can , be written, the straw in the yard had become a mass of roaring and leaping flame, which was drawn through the open back gates of the store_ as smoke is drawn up an ordinary chimney. The cause of this untoward result was the fact that a large portion of the yard wns roofed in, as it were, by the under side of the floor of the rear part of tho upper story of the building, which was supported on tall and heavy studs, and formed a ' large projection over the back of the lower floor. It thus happened that the flames and smoke, unable to ascend higher than ' the under side of this projection, were > wafted into the lower portion of the store with great fierceness. fcso rapidly did this happen that the clerks in the front portion of the building had little more than time to make their escape uninjured, and the valuable books that were lying on the desks at the time were only rescued with §reat difficulty. A rush was made to the rick strong room with valuable papers, lrat so little time remained to (To any- ■ tiling that the door of the strong room could not be locked, the lad who pluckily tried to lock the door having a narrow escape from being overpowered by the smoke, and Mr Liddle only just reaching • the street. By this time the firebell had been rung, but the store was burning ' fiercoly, and in few minutes tho flames were pouring out at '.the front windows. Up till the time when the flames burst through there was not a breath of wind stirring, and the smoke from the burning building went up in a straight and dense column to an immense height, falling over at the top like a gigantic mushroom. The flames, however, rapidly ratified the atmosphere in the vicinity of the buildings, causing a tremendous inrush of air from all points of the compass to feed tho flames, which roared 'with the noise of a hundred furnaces, and threw out a tremendous heat. The loud clanging of the bell had attracted a large crowd of persons to the spot, and many members of the fire brigade were. ' busily engaged in getting out their engines and appliances. A hose reel was quickly run down Tennyson-street by Mr' Tcy•chenno, assisted by a couple of -willing helpers j and Mr Freeman, of the HKUAT.n Office, and Mr Gilford, of the JMvgmph Office, between them iixed ,a hydrant to the plug in front of Saiusbnry and Logan's offices, ran out the ho.'ic, and had everything in readiness to direct a jet of " water on to the burning building. Then became apparent the first phase of a chapter ■of |accidents that j ultimately resulted in tho destruction of a vast amount of, property that might otherwise have been saved. Messrs Gift'ord and Freeman stood, the forme;- at the hydrant aud,the latter with branch in hand, waiting for the water. ,It did not come, the high pressure supply being cut off, and, as it afterwards transpired, tho turncock, who alone could turn on the supply, being at the Spit engaged in super- ,. intending a supply of water /to vcb&ols in port. After a" short period of anxious waiting, during which tho fiyijs was burning and roayhig with extrabrdiiliary rapidity and fierceness, aiid throwing out a heat that; was sq intensp that it) was difficult arid dangerous to remain neaij- the building, the hose already in reiidites to throw water upon the flames hai^ to bo relinquished. By this time Sub-superinten-dent Gilberd and Firomom Parker had cot a double-headed hydwaiit fixed to the hVh-pressurc plug near tflie fire station, ami two lines of hose were rapidly run out. / - Tho steam fire engine waj< also placed in position by the salt walpr wel! in tho rear of the Bon Marchd, and Mr Veruon, who was id charge, was rapidly getting up stedm. Why the hi>'h-prossure plug at the) fire station was not thought of sooner, and why thomanaul eri^ne was not connected with tho salt wa"tor well while the steamer getting Way for aptioii, are queries best answered ' by the 'fact' tliafe the failure of the highhressure in Tennyson-street caused an amount of anxious excitement that was not conducive to cool judgment. The wind also had risen by this timo, and tho leaping and roaring ilames betokened a danger of such apparent magnitude that the failure of the means for coping with it nroducedlauwiJftthe workers, full of eagerness as they were, a feeling of liol»le.-8---ness that must have been very dispiriting. ' To those who had to stand by and see the fire spread, and who knew at the same time that there was a.n hnmchse reservoir of high-pressure- Vater .to draw upon, but tlla't-'oftuJd not be utilised because of :i terrible • bungle, the sight was one to provoke exnsperation and disgust, if the townspeople had not rated themselves to ■-. • provide au expensive water supply for the protcctiou of property, nomatterlmw much , regret might have been felt, the KitsUeniiiK disgust aiid '■exaspeiatio.n experienced would have beeu without excuse. Ah it ■ vas,however,4t was liiore than justifiable-, ' '"' and was, indeed, tho only natural result of a shocldiig fiasco for which .somebody Xc ; should bo brought to task. As aii_ inquiry • ' intp the lire will probably be held it woiv.it . not be right to express what might sound Kke a pre-jpdgment, but that sqiqeborfy' ,'■ | . jblrtndercd,a[ndtliaty!pr,Oi > iUtof J thbulii)ider : , was'a ten-ibty) destruction' of 'prdperty that ' ''■ ■ jftteht -'otncjlwise have been* saved, and :. ' -partial' or, c implete ruin to many towns- '; people, vi a/ deduction only too painfully 1 " ; 'flimple,' As the lire continued to roar in '. '■' .the bniidirigl where it first storied, and tho ;? 'adjoining oiSlccsol the fJaUI/ 'J.Wyrup'i'

began to blister and smoke under the intense heat, a cry was raised that the Criterion' Jlotel was in- danger. , As the ignition of this large building would have nicnnl' the destruction of a large portion of the town, every effort was made by the brigade to keep the fire from crossing Market-street, and fortunately those dibits were crowned with success. P.ut unfortunately, owing to the brigade not having sutticiont hose, and to some of the lioso they possess being in a defective condition, the strenuous efforts to; save the Criterion involved allowing the tiro to spread in other directions. With the exception of the supply from the steamer, which was working magnificently, and pouring a steady stream upon tlio- buildings already burning; Tennyson-street was entirely unprovided with any means for checking the progress Of the flames, and remained so until shortly before the fire was stopped just as it was beginning to seize upon Dr (Jaw's residence. At one tinio.it looked as if the J3on March 6 would go, but wetted blankets were hung over the walls in Tennyson-street, .from the roof downwards, and these precautions, aided by the direction of the wind, kept the lire from spreading in that direction. It spread terribly fast towards Kmorson-slreet, however, niul rapidly made its way along into Hoadlcy and Co.'s store, the adjoining shops, and along in the direction of Daltonstreot. At this time it looked as if the whole of the block bounded by Tennyson, Emerson, Market, and Dal-lon-stVe'els must go, but none among the onlookers saw reason to fear that any of the buildings on the other side of Emersonstreet, or on the north side of Tennysonstreet, were in any immediate danger. The .reverse proved to be the case, the fire attacking both those streets at once. Jii Emerson-street the first building to show signs of yielding to the heat was N. Williams and Sons' paint and paperhanging store, and the Ncivs office, and afterwards the buildings adjoining. Any detailed description of tiie destruction now taking phice on the opposite side of the street is impossible. Generally it may be said that building after building succumbed till the shop recently occupied by Mr Garnham was reached and burned, from that point there was a largo vacant space, the next bnildings on that side of the way being the shops occupied by Mr Mills, saddler, and Mr Kemington, chemist. Copious streams of water were poured upon the buildings on the south sido of Emerson -street, several of which were alight, and one or two looking as if they could not possibly be saved. Fortunately the wind was blowing from the eastward, on to tlio burning block on the north sido of the street, and consequently preventing the flames working hack from the other sido of the street in the direction of the thiokly-populatod portion of 'Dickens-street. This was fortunate, for had the fire once got a good hold of the opposite block, it is doubtful whether a single building could have been saved. Another danger now began to manifest itself. Large flakes of fire were carried up high into the air, and there seemed to meet with currents of wind from nearly all quarters, for the sparks floated away in every direction except to the east and south-east. Some of the fiery Hakes found their way on to properties well up the Shakes]:eare-hill, where the roof of several picjmisns became ignited, and were with difliculty extinguished. Other large Hakes rested upon the roof of the old Provincial Council Chambers, which were soon on fire in several places, and the Bank of New Zealand also became ignited, but was soon extinguished. Mr \L Beeeham, a carpenter who had been working like a Trojan over since the fire started, mounted the roof of the Council Chamber, and remained, there some time, saturating the roof as it caught fire. At one time when the shingles were smoking in several places at once, it looked as if it woidd be impossible to save the structure, but Mr Beccham stuck to his work manfully, and succeeded in overcoming the danger. At this time what almost amounted to a panic set in among the residents of that part of Emer-son-street to the north of Dalton-strcet,

and goods of all descriptions were tumbled out ' of windows and doors and conveyed to what seemed safer places. The scare was quite justifiable, for the iire was marching steadily along .in the direction of Dalton-stieet, and looking as if it would sweep everything before it as far as Clive-squaro. .Fortunately tho vacant space previously . alluded to stopped the flames from seizing upon Mr Mills' shop, the side wall of which was constructed of corrugated iron, and so resisted the great heat. . Had that building ignited the catastrophe, great as it unfortunately is, would have been far more terrible and disastrous. While what has been des-

cribed was taking place the fire was threatening the north side of Tennysonstreet, whcro with the exception of the jet from the steamer before referred to, that was being thrown on the buildings abutting on Market-street, nothing whatever in the shape of preventive appliances was to be found. The first symptom of the great destruction that ultimately resulted was the ignition oi ,the fence bounding the vacant section opposite Banner and Liddle's and the offices of the Daily Telegraph. About the time this occurred tlie Spit fire engine had arrived in town, with 700 feet of hose or thereabouts, and a good complement of men. Superintendent AVatenvorth had recognised the danger which threatened the north side of Tennyson -street, and as soon as he knew that the Spit engine was coming up he decided upon arrangements for trying to stop the spread of the fire at its now most threatening point. Mr IJeecham was sent by .Superintendent "Watcrworth to meet the Spit engine, and to tell those in charge to make their way into the lower end of Tennyson -street by way of Dickensstreet. The message was delivered, but was unfortunately not regarded, the engine being taken into Emersonstreet. Hero it was met by Superiutendant. Waterworth, who was greatly surprised that his directions had been disregarded, and he again ordered the engine to go by way of Dickons-street and Walton-street into Tennyson-street. The engine was taken back up Emerson-street, but again plain directions were disregarded, and instead of the men and hose being taken into Tennyson-street, the engine was run into the yard attached to the Union Bank, where there is a well. "When the buildings opposite the Telegraph oflice caught Jiro, , the Suit engine hail already got its hose runout into Emerson-street, and a jet of water that might have saved the whole of Tennyson : streot, if applied in time, was practically wasted by being directed upon ruins already more than half consumed. "When the buildings opposite the Telegraph ollice became ignited, Mr Pallot ran round to the bank yard, and besought those in charge of I^io Spit engine to bring it round to Tennyson-street. He was met with " We've got our instructions, and we're going to stop here." When he got back to Tennyson-street Martin's tailor's shop was in a blaze, and the flames wero seizing upon Sainsbiiry and Logan's new oliices- The writer of this account then made another effort to get assistance, and going round by the rear of Martin's burning shop found Superintendent Watorwortli near the steamer. . Upon being asked to send an engine, or some hose and a branch to the plug opposite Sainsbury and Logan's offices, he replied that instructions had been given for an engine, to go round by way of Dickens and Dalton-strcets, and that in the meanwhile property had better bo moved from the Hukald ollice. At. this stage in the progress of the devastation the scene in Tennyson-street was maddening. A plucky policeman showed an example when the destruction first threatened, by getting a nail keg full of water and spraying it on to the fence that was the first to ignite on tlie north side of the street. Had only a smal 1 jet of water been available from that time, not a building of those which afterwards fell a prey to tlie flames need have been destroyed. To stand and watch the mischief growing greater each moment was enough to make one savage, One after another tlie other building* became ignited and burned down without, an effort of any kind being made to save them. Not a, drop of water was thrown, not a fireman came near. At the plug, opposite Salisbury ami Logan's, whore previously, no water hail beon ob'Wiiabie, die pressure was so great that tli<J'i>lng partially gave way, and the water was fountiug upward!) in the most tantalising manner, beeauso it wns evident that one short length of hose anil a brunch in the hands of a fireman would save thousands of pounds' worth of property that was being slowly burned down. When it became evident that Suiie'rintenfloht Watcrworth's expectations in 'regard to the Spit engino were w)t to be realised, tlie writer went ijj search of someone, who was ."v "man '' having authority." ISIr W. I Miller was met, mul lie' agreed Unit the I lium;lu v.-liich was leading to the needless (Icsivuction of '1 ennyMin-strect was exasperating and inexplicable. Ooing in .search of .someone to whom ihe representations might be made, Mr Miller and the writer found ox- Superintendent Wilkie, who at once undertook to have the Spit engine got into v j.psitum whence aline of hose could lie laid to the back of the llkkai-uoH'icu, which by thus iim? was iii a blaze. A gang of willing helpers, conspicuous among whom was Mr ]'. I l '. Collclge, got the engine out of the yard of iho Union liank, and r.-wi id i-<y,nxl to thowcll by the iiosl-oiiko. i'roni there :i length of 'hose- Was 'aid down JJrowum-i---fitroot, Mid taken through ih.o groliluls attached to the Anglican Church and par sonage, \Vhfin the engine got to work, and ' water ' was issuing from the fjranr.h, the position of all'nirs was most critical. The I-leuai.m office was down, the machine room was burning and the Masonic Hall had just burnt into a blaze. The lire fimn the Kekald machine room win, (hreal,oning danger on two sides, on tlio cast to the premises in Cliinch-lane, recently occupied by Mr Cornford, and in the rear the parsonage

was in great danger. Tho flames issuing from the Masonic i Jail were also threatening Dr. Cam's residence. Tho leaves of the blue-gums between tho rear of tho Herald premises and the parsonage were turning brown and beginning to smoke, threatening to burst into Ikuno, and tho outlook was enough to make the stoutest heart quail. Had those blue-gums burst into Jlame nolhiug'could have saved tho parsonage, the. Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church, and tho miniature forest extending up the hills at the back. Had this latter become ignited tho fire would have swept up the hill like v whirlwind, and Messrs Miller's and Cornford's large residences must have gone, ami probably many more houses on the hills. At this juncture the jet from the Spit engine actually stopped the fire, and proved how much might have been done had that engine been brought to bear at the right spot fifteen minutes earlier. Whoever is responsible for Tennyson-street being left to burn as it pleased for over half-an-hour, without any assistance from the brigades at all, committed a gross error of judgment that cannot be too deeply deplored. Even as it was, uml when the engine was brought to bear on the fire, the result was clue to the accidental meeting of, Mr Miller and ex-Superintendent Wilkie. The en- , gino .saved the parsonage, tho residence of .Or Caro, and practically stopped the fire, but had that means been available before not a stick on the north side of Tennyson-street would have been burned. Further, although it is doubtful whether the range of small buildings between Banner and Liddlo's store and Mr Chamberlain's oflice could have been saved, it

is certain that Mr Eakins' sheep dip manufactory and Mr Wells' blacksmith shop ought not to have, been destroyed. Between Mr Eakins' place and Mr Chamberlain's office there was a vacant section

about forty feet wide, and a jet of water would have saved the place even after it caught fire. When it did ignite the lire in the big block including Banner and Liddie's storehad practically burned itself out, the walls and roof having collapsed some time before, and although the heat from tho ruins was terribly intense, it would not have scorched Mr Eakins' place into ignition, across forty feet of vacant space, if there had been water available, and it cannot bo .said that at this time there was no pressure in tho mains. Twenty minutes or more before a plug in tho street had bnrat from the pressure of water in the pipes, but there was neither man nor hose on the spot. The Napier Brigade had about 4000 feet of hose out, but tho majority of it was at (ho upper end of Emerson-street, and in the vicinity of the Criterion Hotel. ' The 700 feet possessed by the Spit brigade ought to have been available in Tennyson-street half-an-hour before it was, and that it was not comes very near the solution of the fact that fully £13,000 worth of property was burned without an effort being made to save it. Eegrets are useless now, as tho damage is done, but at the time it was almost maddening to see building after building catching iire and burning down tothe ground without a. drop of water being thrown forpreven live purposes on adjoining promises, and all the time the mains in the street nearly bursting with the pressure of water from the high reservoir. The delay at livst was more or less exensable, as there was no higli-pressiiro water 'nearer than the Beach-road mam, but oven for that somebody is to blame, as it seems ridiculous that a large supply of water should be at hand and yet not of the' slightest utility. How the fact of the high pressure being cut oft' from the business part of the town at any timo can be explained or defended is a matter for future consideration, but, however that may turn onl, there is not the slightest palliation for the Tennyson-street bungle. _ What lias been said about the Spit engine not being taken where it was ordered to go is stated on the authority of Superintendent Waterworth himself, and unless tho disobedience of orders can be explained better than at present seems possible, it must bo hold to be the direct cause of an enormous amount of damage that might have been easily prevented. • We know that Superintendent Waterworth's statements are corroborated by Mr Beecham, the messenger sent, for we interviewed him before writing this account, in order to satisfy ourselves that up mistake had been

lade in tho hurry and excitement' of

,10 moment. Mr Beechum gives hir vci

sion as follows : — '

•" I had been helping Mr

Watcrwortli to buyy some cases of gun-

powder and cartridges, in the church gronnds, and I noticed that Martin's was catching lire. I told Mr Walerworlh, and he said, 'Run, there's a good fellow, and meet tho Spit engine. It is coming along, and tell them they must got into Tenuy-son-street by way of Dallon-street.' I

•an to the front street, and there 1 found

a member of the Spit brigade, in uniform, who told me that he was waiting for the engine, which was coining .along. I told him what Mr Waterworth had said, and he undertook to deliver tho message and get' tlio engine taken round. At that time the roof of the old Council Chambers

took fire, and I ran back and mounted the roof to pnj; the iiro out, staying there till it was all safe. I did not sec where

the Spit engine went to." In addition to Mr Beecham's corroboration as to the

message, Superintendent Waterworth himself saw tho Spit' engine in Emersonstreet, much to his snrprise, and then ordered it round to Tennyson-street. Had

it then been taken there the lire would

have been stopped at Chamberlain's place one one side, and at Neal's

photographic studio on tho other. In justice to all it must be stated that every member of each brigade worked as though his life depended on his efforts, and on this account the most unstinted

muse is due to them,

Tho unfortunate

mngle that. resulted in so much destrncion was by no means tho result of lack

of zeal, and tho only thing to be regretted is that the ardor exhibited failed to achieve all that was possible. The insurances, which will be found approximately stated bolow, wilL not nearly cover the terrible loss sustained by those buvned out, nor the serious losses of

those whose ■ goods were damaged by hasty removal, and in some cases two or more removals, The great number of willing workers who lent assistance deserve tho warmest thanks of the community. Citizens of all classes worked hard to save

the property of those whose premises wore in ' danger, ami even females ran about bravely with goods of various descriptions for deposition in a place of safety, Unfortunately we are also compelled to chronicle the fact that two or three rogues were about, and in some instances very paltry thefts were committed. Several tradesmen in Emerson-street lost from this cause. Happily for the credit, of human nature, these occurrences, though intensely aggravating, were not common, and it may he presumed that the persons who perpetrated the exceptions are by this time heartily ashamed of themselves. The damage done by the fire is immense, several acres of land, upon which formerly stood important buildings, being completely denuded, and showing nothing but a mass of blackened debris and the wrecks of chimneys. Estimates of the total

losses, including fctock, vary from £40,000 to £00,000, hut it will probably be found that the destruction will not amount .to more than ilic moan of the two sums mentioned. The insurances so far sis ascerkiinablo at present, only amounts to about £IG,QOQ, and the agents of the various companies feel certain that that sum will not he increased to more tlmn £20,000 by claims bi all kinds. ' This means that £20,000 at least of the loss must bo borne by the unfortunate persons whose properties havo been destroyed. In some cases, as in that of Mr Eakins', the whole- loss has to bo borne, and in many other instances the amount of insurance will bear only a trilling proportion to the loss sustained. Our own losses are some thousands of pounds greater than the amount, covered by insurance, and Messrs banner and Liddle also suiter enormous loss. ' The distress and anxiety caused by the lire among those who suH'ered evoked many splendid testimonies to tho -innate goodness of humanity in the shape- of oflws ot assistance. We have heard of many of these, und in our own enso can speak from experience, Messrs Jlaggen and Harding being both very prompt in oilers of aid. The Daily Tcle-qraph sutl'erecl nearly as much aslhoy could suil'er, saving very little indeed. Their issue on Saturday evening was consequently a vcr.v little one, but, curtailed as it was, that it should have appeared at all was very creditable to. the energy and perseverance of tho .stall', and also to Mr Harding, v/lio. placed his premises at Mr Kuovles,' disposal. The livening Nans ollico was badly damaged by fire ;u\A w^ter, but fortunately was not destroyed, and it is owing to that fact and Mr Haggcn's courtesy in allowing us the use of liiw machine that wo appear to-day, The actual buildings destroyed amounted to 25, although some of them were doubly occupied, but in our case the word buildings includes several separate 'structures, The list is as follows.: — Tcnnysoii-streol,, .south t-idu : Duncan, auctioneer ; Dm'l;/ Tdcfjrajih oflices : Lamb, architect; i!anner/and Liddle, auctioneers and general commission agent.-) ; Sheath, solicitor, and darner, deputy assignee (under one roof) ; Leo, solicitor ; Kainsbury and Logan, solicitors ; Algar, commission agent, and Wilding and Co., timber merchants, (under one roof) ; Ellison ;u>d fson, surveyors ; (Ihaniborli I,',1 ,',! 1 ! coniiiii^sioii agent and VruiKO, .'ifcliitcct ; J'lakins and Co., s'mje|j dip manufacturers ; Hvans, siuldlor; Wells, blacksmith and farrier. North side: Martin, tailor; KaiiiHbury and Logan'.'! now oliiees; Ncal, photographer; JlkuAlu ollicqd, and sot of sample looms adjoining ; Masonic Hall. Emerson-street, north side : Ifoadley av,d Co., auction mart and wool store; shop lately occupied by tfuszavd, lishliionger ; Niehol.sen, furniture warehoupo andcaliinet maker's simp ; Lessog, surveyor; Jonseu, jeweller ; shop recently occupied by Clark, jeweller; hhop roceiilJy occupied by (iarnhain, painter and papurluvnger. Hoiitli siilo (damaged only) :

Ashworth, boot^and shoemaker ; White, fancy goods dealer ; National Insurance Oifiee: N. Williams, painter and house decorator ; Evening News odice ; Searle, milliner and draper ; West, fruiterer ; MagiU and Campbell, drapers. In addition to this ninny persons had goods damaged by lire, wato", or removal, and the sides of ' J, Mills' saddlers' shop, and of Mr Wells' residence, were considerably scorched by the fire. The following is au approximate statement of the insurances : Duncan, building £300, stock nil ; Daily Telegraph, £1750; Banner and Liddle, stock £700, building .£2000 ; Sheath, building, £250; Lee, building £250, furniture, &c, £150; Ellison, building, £200 ; Eakins, building £250, stock nil ; Evans, stock £100; Wells, shop and smithy, £100; Saiuslnuy and Logan, occupied premises, £250; Martin, stock and building £600 ; Sainsbury and Logan, now premises £550 ; Hekald, £4500 ; Masonic Hall, £000; Hoadley and Co., building and furniture £1150; Nicholson, stock and building, £350; Levy, stock £350, building £400; empty shop next Levy's, £400 ; Lessong, building £300 ; Jensen, building £300 ; empty shop next Jensen's £300 ; total, £16,150.