THE HASTINGS FIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2350, 11 February 1893, Page 2

THE HASTINGS FIRE.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

NAPIER, February 10. A fire broke oat in Roach's drapery shop Hastings, at 2.30 on Thursday morning, and spread till the whole of the blook in which the shop was situated, and also the opposite blook, were destroyed.

Twenty-two buildings were consumed.

The following places were burnt : — Jull's Hastings Hotel ; Wiokett, draper ; Chong Kee, grocer ; Tyerman and Broad, chemists ; New Zealand Clothing Factory ; Hannah's boot shop ; Boaob, draper ; Smythe, stationer ; D. D. Hyde, tobacconist; MoEwen, draper; Williams and Kettle's store ; Maddison and Co.'s store ; Bobson, watchmaker; Greene, commission agent ; the Bank of New Zealand ; Maxwell's resturant; Dennett's offices; the Bank ot New South Wales; Mayo, fruiterer; Simpson's shooting gallery; George and Young's printing ofiioefl; Wastney's law offices ; and a large building in course of erection for Maddison and Co.

The fire at Hastings is in proportion to the size of tbe town a tremendous affair, fully balf (tbe more valuable balf) being destroyed. There is absolutely no salvage, and the area on which onoe stood a large block ot buildings now (to use an apt expression of a bystander) " Looks like a forest clearing," nothing appearing above tbe dead level of the ground except tbe chimneys.

The loss cannot be less than £50,000, and some owners are not covered by insurance.

The Bank of New Zealand safe and its valuable contents were saved with great difficulty.

Hastings has only one manual engine and a small private one, and tbe water 6 apply has low pressure. Tbe Brigade worked admirably, and sated the Pacific Hotel. A strong breeze was blowing, but foatunately it lulled, or half the town would have been destroyed.

The fire broke out when everyone was asleep. No lives were lost and no one was injured, but there were some narrow escapes from falling chimneys.

People came in from all parts, and a number of Maoris in an adjoining pah and others attending the Native Land Court, with fresh contingents trooping in all day formed quite a numerous section of the populace. Hundreds went out from Napier, and tbe thriving little town of Hastings probably never in all its history presented a spectacle at once so gay aud so sad. Much sympathy is expressed in Napier with tbe Hastings people in their sad plight.