DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT GISBORNE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6536, 7 February 1882, Page 5

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT GISBORNE.

ESTIMATED DAMAGE £IOO,OOO. [Fib Psias Abbooiatiox.] GI3BOBNB, Fib. 6. The moat destructive fire that ever took place in Gisborae, ooounred last night, destroying property estimated to be worth orer £IOO,OOO. At about •> quarter pait seven o'olook, flames wereseen to issue from beneath the premises oooupiod by Graham and Co., wine and spirit merchants. Before anything could be done to itop the progrei* ef the flamou, they had extended to the Union Company'* offloe and the bonded store of T. W. Oarr and Soni. Theie valuable oonorote building*, were erected about five yean ago, and coat about £IO,OOO. They contained oil, wool, graaa aeed, and a large quantity of general merohandiae. Mr Oarr waaone of the Lady Joeelyn's passengers, and had recently purchased the premiaes and started buaineaa here, his family being with him. The flames rapidly extended to the premiaes of Meaara Pitt and Bennett, auctioneers, p&iaing the rear pf the Union Bank, and to M'Farlane'a Hall. Presently the Union Bank also caught fire. Subsequently the offices of Brassey and Eraser, solicitors, and Diokson's Argyle Hotel, besides one or two other minor buildings were destroyed. Page's Masonio Hotel, the Albion, and buildings on the other side of the street, were tared with great difficulty. The whole block is cleared. Had there been the slightest breeze blowing the town would have been burned down. The insurances are as follows:—South British: Argyle building, £400; Oarr and Sons* stook, £1000; Union S.S. Company, furniture, £SOO j Oarlow, Smith and Oo.'s goods in bond, £300; total, £1760. Yiotoria: Argyle building, £4OO ; Carr and Sons' stock, £1260; Oarlow, Smith and Oo.'s goods in bond, £350; total, £2OOO. Union Insuranoe: Carr and Sons' stoek, £2000;' stook in wool shed, £260; wool press, £250 j wool shed insurance, £160; ! Pitt and Bennett's building, £260; M'Farlane's hall, £SOO j Union Bank buildings, £4OO ; Graham and Oo's stook, £275 ; seventy • three bales of wool,/" £1000; total, £5175. Colonial Insurance: Oarr and Sons' stock, £1250; Butt's fuhii< ture, £150; Pitt and Bennett's improvement, £170; do produoe, £260; Brassey'i buildings, £250; total, £2OOO. North British and Mercantile Insuranoe Company : M'Farlane's Hall, £325 j Carr and Sons' stores, £100; Carr and Sons' stock, £500; Can and Sons' woolshed, £150; Union Bank buildings, £400; Pitt and Bennett's buildings, £250; total, £2626. National Insurance Co.: Carr and Sons' stock, £2000; woolshed, £260; produce, £250; Graham and Oo.'s store, £260; Union Bank, £400: total, £3150. Norwich Union: Oarr and Sons' store, £400; stook, £500; Argyle Buildings, £200; Finn's' buildings, £SO; Finn's furniture, &c, £200: total, £1250. Standard : Oarr and Sons, bags, £500; bonded stook, £400; '.Brassey'a buildings, £200; total, £llOO. Royal Insurance Company : Oarr and Sons'stock, £llOO r, total, £llOO. New Zealand Insurance Company : Argyle stables, £1000; Turner's building, £100; Argyle Hotel, stock, £250; Argyle buildings, £600; Carr and Sons' stook, £1000; total, £2050. Grand total of insurances, £22,380.