DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IS THE AUCKLAND MARKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6749, 5 July 1883, Page 5

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IS THE AUCKLAND MARKET.

PROBABLE DAMAGE, ABOUT £1000.

SUSPECTED INCENDIARISM

FOUL PLAY—FIRE HOSE CUT IN SIX

PLACES. About two o'clock this morning fire was discovered to have broken out in the market in this Wellesley-atreet transept. An alarm was immediately given, and the Grey-street firebell rung, the warning being taken up in turn by the other city iirebells. Constable Mackay roused up tte custodian of the building, a man named Hennock, who sleeps in an spartmeut in the southern transept, and he opened the doors of the market, aad let the gusts in. The fire was then seen to be in iUftoa'e stalls (east side of Wellesleystreet transept). The ri;e was just beginning to show over the rail of the stall, some twelve feet in height, and owing to the draught caused by opening the doors, and the current of air created by the louvred ventilators, the fire ascended to the roof of the building in an incredibly short space of time. In the meantime tbe Fire Brigade under Superintendent Hughes, had arrived, accompanied by the Salvage Corps, under Captain Field. It was found that the fire had got a good hold of the contents of that side of ths building in which it originated, the flames shooting into the air out of the ventilators, and brilliantly lighting up the neighbourhood. Four lengths of hose were speedily laid, and the p mderouH gates hiving been thrown open by tlie firemen a powerful stream of water was brought to ■bear upon tbe burning mass, tho firemen at great personal risk from falling glass from the windows ever the doorway, pluckijy maintaining their ground. The stalls occupied by Mr. Henry Raftoo, baskct-maksr and general dealer, vera at this time enyeloped in a mts3 of flame, but in a i-hort time the fire was subdued, having ben prevented from spreading to the remaining stalls on the same side, though the intense heat set fire to the top of one of the atal ! s on the opposite side, but the fire was speedily put out. Two leads of water from the main running round the building, and from the Wtlleeley-street main were kept playing on the transept until all danger was over. The following are the insurances, so far aa they could be ascertained : —£3ooo on the ilarket in National, largely reinsured ; Hafton, who had 11 stalls, js heaviest loser. Stock comprised basketware, furniture, and general good", estimated value £850, insured in Union for £600 ; Green, fruiterer and fancy gooda dealer (lives in Buburbs)t insurance not known; Walker (several stalls), uninsured, stock estimated at from £200 to £300. Both Walker's and Green'e stock was damaged by water. On the west side of trausept Walker's No. 1 Etall is little damaged. The same may be said of Howard's, in which is weighing machine, galvanic batteries, &c. The only injury is sustained by water. As for the transept itself, the damage may possibly be about £200. A little past three o'clock the lead of hose into the eastern transept under the doorway ■was found to be clean cut for three inches deep, and under the dome in the centre of the market another and larger cut was found. It was evidently done by the same instrument or knife. The main hose leading from Wellesley-atreet, also from Cook-streot, to the building was found to be cut in several places. The ents are cleau, and evidently the deliberate efforts of some one to cause ihe destruction of the building. The police and Superintendent Hughes are investigating the matter. , The hoarding in front of Buchanan s new buildings, Wellesley-street, had been carried np to the hydrant, and a miscellaneous assortment of building materials placed on it bad shifted the box, preventing the hose from screwing on properly. The origin of the outbreak is at present a as all appeared safe when the market was locked up for the night, and only some ten minutes before the ftro was discovered passers-by observed no signa of anything wrong. Apparently the fire began under flooring. The last uie in the market took place in May, ISS2, inflicting about £1000 damage. It is only a few weeks ago since tbe City Council authorities laid down a series of large water mains for the betterprotection of the building in case of fire, and the new arrangement was found to be very useful Tbe police, as well as a party ol the Naval Artillery, under Lieuteant Parker and Sub-Lieutenant Smith, rendered aid m pret jotiag property and keeping back the crowd from impeding tho firemen.