THE FIRE ON THE RECLAMA-TION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6066, 27 April 1881, Page 5

THE FIRE ON THE RECLAMATION.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. It appears that the fire at Messrs. Jagger and Parker's saw-mill, on the reclaimed land, Freeman's Bay (which we recorded in yesterday's issue), was first discovered by two sailors, named Lloyd and Swinton, who had landed from the schooner Perseverance, at the reclamation. Observing the glare of fins in the building, they hastened to give the alarm at the firebell at the junction of Drake and Wellesley-streets. An inspection of the ruins, yesterday, shows that the fire had thoroughly done its work. The machinery has been so bent and warped by heat and water as to be wholly useless, while over £200 worth of dressed timber, stacked on the premises, has been charred or destroyed. Considerable improvements had recently been effected at the mill, so that it was capable of turning out 50,000 feet of timber weekly, and furnishing employment to some 17 hands. Messrs. Jagger and Parker estimate their loss at £2500. The only insurance on the building was a policy of £400 in the National. So far as can be ascertained, the fire occurred near the centre of the mill, a little distance from the engine-shed. The engineer, a man named Nicholson, states that the furnace was fed with shavings, sawdust, &.C., and that it was the custom each evening half-an-houi before knocking off to stop feeding it, so as to enable the contents of the furnace to be thoroughly burned off. Water was then thrown on the smouldering debris, and everything made safe before leaving the premises. This man lives just across the street in a. cottage erected on the reclamation, and was accustomed to look round the place during the course of the evening in order to see that all was right. He did so at 10 p.m. on Monday and found everything correct. He awoke about 2 o'clock a.m., an hour before the fire broke out, and from his bed looked across at the mill, and saw the window in the engine shed, but there was. no appearance of any light or glare of any kind. The premises are not thoroughly enclosed, and could easily be entered by any wandering loafer who wanted a night's shelter. A night watchman was formerly kept, but as the night watchman of the Auckland Timber Company resides within a hundred yai-ds of the mill, and their own engineer lived : just across the street, the precaution had latterly been dispensed with. Much sympathy was expressed,yesterday to Messrs. Jagger and Parker uncle;: their serious loss and misfortune. Mr, Graydon, shipbuilder, has also suffered some slight damage, through the roof being burned off a : small shed belonging .to him. : We may mention that ononis' as on other occasions bf fire the. Naval, Brigade; : under Captain Leßoy, ; ; turned out at an: early period, and were of material assistance to the police and; Fire Brigade. ; .. .., :