DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ONEHUNGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6565, 1 December 1882, Page 5

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ONEHUNGA.

LOSS, £4000; INS UR ANCES, £2105. One of the moat destructive fires which has yet taken place in Onehunga, occurred at three o'clock yesterday morning at the corner of Princes and Hill-streeta. The reflection 011 the Bky was plainly visible from Auckland, but owing to the distance the Fire Brigade could render no assistance, and the firebella were not rung. The fire broke out in the hay store of Mr. Co.ilin, whose hotel is on the opposite corner of the street. Mr. Codlin's bedroom window looks out on the store, and he was aroused by the glare of fire and crackling noise. On looking out he saw the flames bursting out of the roof of the hay store, and the fire had evidently full possession of the building. In a few moments the men working on the night shift at Roe's Saw-mill, a little further down the street, on the opposite side, ran up and commenced to rouse up the sleeping inmates of . the adjoining houses, and to assist in getting out the furniture, is it was pretty evident from the quarter in which the wind was blowing that the whole block westward was doomed. Owing to the absence of any. appliances for suppressing fire, the hay atore soon went. There wure two omnibuses in the adjacent died, belonging to Mr. Codliu, one of which tvas burnt, and the other seriously damaged before it could be got out. The wind being 'rom the N.E., a workshop and two storey Iwelling at the rear of the hay store, belongng to Mr. Kelsall, escaped, but tlie Haines ipeedily spread to Mr. ICelsall's two storey iwelling-house and bakery, as well as a :ottage belonging to Mr. Kelsall, but occupied by Mr. King and family. The people jot out most of the furniture in the lower itoreys, but the etleuts in the upper storeys .vere nearly all destroyed. The body of lame thrown out, as well as the iutensc leat, soon caused the ignition of Mr. :3radley's store and dwelling-house adjacent. u his yard were stacked about 40,000 bingles, besides ;,osts and rails, the whole of vhich (Vt.lued at £200, and uninsured) was >retty well destroyed. In his anxiety to renove his goods oat of danger, he forgot to ;ake from his bedroom a gold watch and :haiu and diamond ring, worth in all abont iSO. The remains of the watch were found n the ruins of the building subsequently. Mr. Bradley succeeded in saving ome of the shingles as well as a >ortion of his goods and furniture, vhich were carried across the street. In a hort time the store was burnt to the ground, ■lid the next building in succcssion to fall )ufore the devouring element was a building iccupied by Mrs. Spalding as a store and Lwelling, and which iu turn led to the deduction of Mrs. George's front cottage, rler cottage at the rear of the above would llso have gone, but through the exertions of ler son, Mr. John George, and some neigh>ours, who carried buckets of water, it was laved, contrary to general expectation. The escape was & narrow one, as the back ipartment is all charred and blackened. Mrs. George has been rather unfortunate ;hroUi;h fires, and states that she has lost £2000 in all through various fire 3 in Onemnga. At one time it was feared that the uljaceut hotel, owned by Mrs. George, but it present tenanted by Mr. Gibbs, would lave been destroyed also. Fortunately an illotment intervened, in which are some villow and pine trees, and through this proectiou the hotel was saved. While Bradley's store was burning, the ieat thrown out was very great, and there vas some danger of old stone building on the ipposito tide of the street, belonging ;o Mr. W. S. Grahamc, of Auckland, >nd generally known as the W'hatipu lining rooms, taking fire. The shingle roof vas rotten, aud iguited once or twice, but dr. Mclntyre's and Mr. Roe's men, Mr. painter, and others, by means of mckets of water from the top windows, iverted the danger. Had the fire got a hold acre in all probability Mr. Wreford's, Cap--ain Parnell's, and two ortlireeotherdwellings vould have gone, if, indeed, the fire did not ixtend as far as Roe's timber yard. Forunately the wind lulled during the progress if the fire. Some of the window glass in Captain Parnell's house was cracked, and he doors blistered with the heat. As to the origin of the fire little if anyhing is known. The hay store, it is said, iad not been entered during the previous lay. The door had not been locked, but nly fastened, however, and the side win,oW3 had been left open for cats to got in nd out and keep down the rats. A man tamed Alexander Muir, a nightman, states hat he was emptying a closet near Codlin's iotel, about half past two o'clock iu the norning, and heard two men walking about he vicinity of the hotel and talking toother not far from the store. Sergeant jrcen who was early at the fire, does not ittach much importance to the statement, ,s men are in the habit of strolling about the j trcets after the closing of the public houses I o a very late hour. Some damage was done to furniture ihrough the misdirected but well meaut in- j .entious of those assisting. It is not creditible to a town of the importance of Onelunga that it has neither a firebell, firesngine, or Salvage Corps, and the residents vould do well to lay to heart the lessons aught by yesterday morning's fire. The whole of the buildings in the block vere insured. The New Zealand Insurance Company loses most largely, but probably iome of its risks are reinsured. Through the iflice being closed yesterday, owing to the tolidiy, we were unable to ascertain the exact acts. The following are the insurances : — NEW JCEVLaND insurance company. _ Codlin's hay store .. .. ** , , Y / * ''' velsall's dn-tlling-houso. shop, and bikory (as well js furniture and : tock) Cel-all'B co'.tase J 1 ™ Jradley's Bhop srad cy's stock ipaldlxig's house .. - • ■ • • • • ■ 4WJ Total £1905 COLON 1 At. INSURANCE COMTANY. tfrs. George's front cottage •• •« •• Irs. George's furniture 40 Total £250 The Colonial had also £150 on the back cot;ag°> partly damaged, and £400 on Mrs. Seorgc's hotel. The insurance on Mrs. ieorfje's cottage, burned dov\ n, was only renewed yesterday.