DISASTROUS FIRE AT DANNEVIRKE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 23 October 1917, Page 7

DISASTROUS FIRE AT DANNEVIRKE

■■ ~.:..; W-..//.: . -I-.-' .... , ... I"" HEiHT 0¥ "CDMMEBCIAI/ AREA ; 'DEVASTATED. j EIRE "FAN-NED BY WESTERLY GALE. (United Press Associatioh.* DANNEVIRKE, Oct. 22, Dannevirke will have good cause to remember [Labour Day, 1917, a most disastrous fire devastating the heart of the commercial area, which is now a scene of desolation, only brick vyalls and gaunt chimney stacks indicating where business places did flourishing The blow- to the town is -most serious, as, apart from the structures and stock which- perished, hundreds of employees will be workless and great dislocation in business must ensue before the loss' can Tie made good. The firebell -was to have been given a trial ring at 6.30 p.m., structural alterations having just been completed, but four "hours earlier it was given an urj gent peal on account of an outbreak in Andrews' Hotel, an immense old wooden structure situated on the corner of High and Station streets, one of : the relics of the days when coaches p'ayed a pant in th e through trips to Wellington. A westerly gale was blowing, and this fanned the flames from the rear of the hotel. Within three minutes the whole of the rapper portion of the building was wrapped in flames, which licked up greedily everything intheir path. The occupants of the place barely had time to mak e an exit, and some of the housemaids had to he rescued from' the balconies. Though the Eire 'Brigade were early at work, their primitive appliances and the gigantic nature of the conflagrationmade "their efforts appear puny. The flames jumped the wide street to the -Dannevirke 'Co-operative Association's big storehouse opposite Andrews' 'Hotel, and soon this was a roaring inferno, endangering also the Club Hotel, facing the Railway Station. {Fortunately the wind was blowing from.' the direction of this building, and, though it was in grave danger for a' time, *it escaped. Not so the Masonic Hotel, another ancient landmark, on the east side of High street. The Masonic caught as the flames spread, and it was not long before premises on both sides of the main thoroughfare were being demolished with incredible rapidity. Despite the efforts ; of the Fire Brigade, the Are spread east and west, north and south. The (Dan- ■ nevirke Gas 'oompany's gasometers, oh a section at the "rear of the Masonic Hotel, were right within the danger j zone. The fences all round -were de- j •strbyed, hut the flames were kept hack from the gasometers. The rfire started shortly after 2 o'clock and it was well on towards 5 o'clock before it could be said that the Darinevirke and Woodville (Brigades had got tUe upper, hand. Even then the danger vvas not all' over, huge masses of horning debris being visible in all directiona. There was no loss of life, and, no serious accidents occurred. Places not far away from the scene of the conflagration were salvaged by nundreds of townsfolks, and it was the on si est Labour Day the helpers had ever -tut >'i. Furniture, drapery, crockery — in facL, an unimaginable collection of irticles of all descriptions'—littered the highwavs and .byways within half a mile from the blaze. Dannevirke has lundoubtedly -received a terrific hlow commercially, and an estimate of the loss is absolutely impossible at present, but it will- run probably io the vicinity of £200,000, if not more. Th e following is a list of the places destroyed, giving the names of the owners and occupiers and their businesses, all of the premises indicated being practically a totol loss: — ' Andrews' Hotel. Harris and Sons, livery stables. John x\ Engelbretsen, draper. Theodore Wysocki, tailor. Richard Roake, auctioneer. •Lee Wong, laundry. j Dannevirke Co-operative Association. Ltd. ••' ■ "•" Arthur 'Henry-Hilly-tobacconist. ■: Peter J. Nimand, jeweller. Rosse, tailor. Thomas J. Flynri,, bootmaker. DB. 'O. Thomsen, hairdresser. EdwardE. Prior, chemist. James Neagle, motor importer. Rose, Ltd., (Building. John Percival Dodds, music store. i laicy Miller, confectioner. liionel P. ißartlett, bookmaker. _ Ofuminondi Hodder; and. Co., ironmonger*. ; . , • j George Hi. Bafttett, hairdresser and tobacconist. "ATthur C. Webber, bookseller. George A. 'Chaxman, restaurant. Malcolm, McCallum, watchmaker. Masonib Hotel. t Quing Kee and 'Co., fruiterers. Armstrong and Morrison, drapers. Dannevirke - Herbert-villa Coaching Company. Collett and. (Sons, iron foundry. In addition, to these,' sample rooms and outbuildings of all descriptions succumbed to the flames, and even the roadway took fire. The Dannevirtce Co-operative Association were probably th» biggest losers. Their stock:-was valued, T at present prices, at approximately £sofipo, the insurance is about £25,000. This firm, employed 70 'hands. '" , r A - Andrews' Hotel, owned by Messrs Andrews and Mrs Laville, was insureu, but the amount is not available to-night The Masonic Hotel, owned by the Allardice Estate, was also insured, but tho details are.not yet known. Most of the other places destroyed 'were insured/as well as the stocks, the .policies running into many thousands. Practically all the insurance companies are heavily hit, *whiLe the loss is many thousands in excess of th© insurances. Two out of four hotels have 'been burned, three out of four tobacconists shops,- and practically only one grocery business of 'any size is left. The losses are doubly big on account of shops inir heaviW stocked in view of the . Christmas trade. Some of the sufferers will be financially ruined. ■ :'