DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ONEHUNGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6342, 16 March 1882, Page 5

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ONEHUNGA.

MR. M. H. ROES SAWMILLS DESTROYED. ESTIMATED LO.SS-£4OOO. Shortly after midnight the Auckland firebells rang out an alarm. From the glare behind Mount Eden it was apparent that a large fire was raging in the direction of Onehunga. The Fire Brigade speedily mustered at the Albert-street station, but Superintendent Hughes, after taking a survey from the bell tower opposite, concluded that it would be fruitless for the brigade to start for the scene of the fire. Captain Butler, of the Salvage Corps, however, proceeded in their break for the locality, as did Mounted-Trooper Kelly. On reaching Newmarket, Captain Butler decided, as he had only two horses in the break, it would be useless to go on, as the tire was evidently at Onehunga, and the party returned to town. A fresh trap was procured, and at 1.20 Captain Butler and a member of the Salvage Coips, and a Herald reporter, went on to Onehunga, which was reached shortly before 2 o'clock, when it was ascertained that the sawmills of Mr. Matthew Henry P..08 had been burnt to the ground, and the <iebrin of the buildings was still burning furiously. The following are the particulars as far as could be ascertained at that late hour.

The mill had been working on Wednesday night till 10 o'clock, when the furnaces were slacked and the workmen departed for their homes, two of them, however— David Carson (a mill hand) and William Hughes (blacksmith) — sleeping on the premises on the upper storey. There is a night watchman, an old man, named Dugald Smith. lie states that shortly before 12 o'clock he passed in front of the building, when all appeared safe, and had j proceeded to the seaward end of the mill, to see that everything was right there. On ret urning to the street-end of the mill he discovered the wholefrontof theinill wasonfire, so that he had no t:ine either to give the alarm to the men sleeping in the upper storey, or to take any measures to utilise the appliances on the premises for suppressing fires. These latter were tanks distributed throughout the building, containing about 4000 gallons water with service pipes, and some three dozen buckets at various points on the premises, which were regularly tilled with water each evening. Further than these facts the watchman could furnish no further information, or throw any light on the origin ' of the fire. David Carson, one of the men.sleeping on the premises, states that he was awakened by a rumbling noise, then saw a reflection of fire at the window. Thereupon he aroused his mate, Hughes. Looking at his watch, which was hanging up, he saw the time was 1:2.10. There was not a moment to lose, as immense masses of flame were driving into the centre, and had cut off their access to the ladder leading to the lower storey. Hughes being an aged man, Carson called out : " For God's sake, Hughes, yo* jump first." Previous to this Carson had thrown up the window, and pitched out the blankets. The flames bursting up through the flooring set fire to their night clothe-s. Hughes at ouce jumped out followed by Carson, both men being considerably scorched and burnt, Carson badly about the feet and below the knee, and Hughes was considerably burnt along the left thigh extending up to the hip. Two young men—John Jones and Moses Kelsall —who had been stopping at the Royal Hotel, and had run down to the mill on the alarm being given, immediately wrapped the blankets around the injured men, who were then removed to the Royal Hotel, where Mr. and Mrs. Weston, the landlord and landlady, attended to their injuries with such remedies as were at hand.

As Onehunga does not possess a firebell, the great majority of the inhabitants were ignorant of the fact that a destructive fire was raging in the town, but as they do not possess a fire engine either, the knowledge would have been of little service to them. Only about fifty persons were present. Fortunately, the wind though blowing fresh was from the north-east, and thus the great mass of fire and flame was driven seaward. Consequently, only the mill proper, with its machinery was destroyed. Had the wind been from any other point, the adjacent sheds, stores, and immense stacks of timber must inevitably have fallen a prey to the fire. Indeed, there is little doubt that the flames would have stretched across Princess-street, and in all probability have destroyed a large number of the buildings in that street. As it was, -preparation had been made in some of the houses to remove the goods in the event of the wind changing. As nothing could be done co save the mill, those present directed their exertions to confining the fire to that building, and preventing its extension to the sheds and stacks of timber near, in which they were successful. In the sawmill all the machinery, consisting of two engines, sawing and planing machines of various kinds, was destroyed, as also the whole of the dressed timber in the mill, and one or two small stacks immediately adjoining. There can be little doubt as to the origin of the fire. As the mill was at work up to a late hour, owing to the high wind prevailing, a spark from the chimney or the furnaces had probably lodged in some of the inflammable material around, and thus produced the accidental destruction of the mill. Mr. Roe was early oil the ground, and directed the proceedingsof thoseenga»ed in combatting the fire. He informs us that the mill was insured in the Colonial Insurance Company's office for about £1000, but he estimates his loss, over and above the insurance, at £0000 to £4000. This loss will be all the more severe, as, owing to the present briskness of the timber trade, he will lose an opportunity of utilising his stock. Those present rendered every assistance in their power. Sergeant Green was also present, and subsequently visited the injured men, to see if he could render them any assistance.

One of the employe's at the mill, Samuel Fallwell, loses about £6 worth of tools, and some of the other men, it is thought, will also suffer personal loss from the same cause.