DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN PONSONBY

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6967, 17 March 1884, Page 5

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN PONSONBY

I&TIMATED DAMAGL, £300 C.

.INSURANCES, OVER £2000.

FIRE COMMENCED IN EMPTY PliE-

MTSES,

Yestkhday morning ibsut seven o'clock a fire broke out in the back of the two-itoreyed shops in process of erection for Mr. W. G. Allen, of Clarence-street, Ponsonby. Owing to itß being Sunday morning bat few persons were about at the time, and the majority of the residents first became aware of the conflagration through the fierce clangonr of the city fire-bells. Ponsonby boasts • fire-bell, but it has been placed in a recess, where the surrounding buildings obstruct the free coarse of the sound. The " clapper" is conspicuous by its absence, and a small boy mounting the belfry, was tain, yesterday morning, to give the alarm by hitting the side of tbe bell with a hammer. The heavy column of smoke which rose from the rear of the empty shops, showed that the fire had got a good hold, and in a short time it burst into Mr. Hyuaiason's ironmongery premises on tbe east side, and the dwelling house of Mr. Allen on the west, tenanted by Mr. E. L. Smith, a builder, lately from Hawera. Messrs. John Smith, of the Ponsonby Store, and S. March, who were early on the spot, with some other of the residents, directed their attention to aiding Mr. Hyuaiason in getting out and saving some of his effects. He is in a delicate state of health, and the excitement proved too much for him. Mr. G. W. Owen had him taken to his own residence. Shelly Beacn-road, where the man received every attention and restoratives. The ocJupantß of the doomed cottages bundled out their effects as soon as possible, and some of Hyuaiason's stock was vot out, all of which was removed across the road for safety. Meanwhile the fire was raging furiously in toe h!ook, the people present being almost helpless to do auything in the way of arrest ing it. A Fire Brigade station house had been recently erected near the Ponsonby Hall by the City Council, a hose reel provided, and arrangements made for stationing a branch brigade of four men. Owing to the differences with the insurance companies the men have never been sworn in ; the key of the station-house waa in the possession of Mr. Stanford, hotelkeeper, who had instructions not to surrender it save to a member of the Firj Brigade in uniform. The cousequence was that although a hose reel hydrants, &c , were within 100 yards of the burning block, they could not be made available till the arrival of the Ctty Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Hughes. Some fiery spirits proposed to break iu the door, but the threat was not carried out.

Tbe Fir« Brigade came on the ground as speedily as possible, but, owing to the distance to te travelled, there was some delay. The Salvage Corps (under Captain Field) also turned out promptly from Crowther's stables, and, to avoid delay, Councillor Crowther himself mounted the box, and " tooled " the party out to Ponsonby. Considering the load of appaiatus, 4c. (32cwt.), to be carried, very good time was made.

As soon as a fireman had opened the branch station-house the moo rushed in and took possession of the hose reel before he knew where he was, running it out ovor the uerbing, and starting the apriugs. Meanwhile Superintendent Hughes got two leads of hose on the eastern side of the burning block to prevent the fire extending in that direction, and another lead to the west side with a view of arresting its progress in that quarter. A fourth lead was taken from Prospect-street, in order to cut off the tiro from running along the network of fenciug, closets, elc., to the residences in that thoroughfare, as it threatened at one time to do. By this time, Allen's two shops, Hyauiaaon's premises, and one of Allen'* cottages were down, also Allen's workshop and stable at rear of his shops. Allen's second cottage, occupied by Mr. Bishop, commercial traveller, was on fire to the westward, and Mr. Gilford's cottage, occupied by Mr. Haszard, was in a similar condition, but in a short time, after a sharp struggle, the Brigade got the mastery, not, however, till Allen's cottage had been seriously damaged, and Gifford'a completely gutted. By nine o'clock the fire was well in hand, and all danger over. It was fortunate that the water supply had recently been put in at this part of Ponsonby, as otherwise the fire would simply have gone along Ponsonby-road West, till it exhausted itself for lack of material, and back down through the interlaced fences of the burning block to Prospect-street, and wiped it out. There is little doubt that had the branch Fire Brigade been established at the Three Lamps, as originally contemplated by the City Council, the hose-reel would have been run out in rive minutes, and the fire suppressed at the outset with little difficulty or damage. It was computed by some of the spectators that the insurance companies had lost in a couple of hours, through the absence of a branch of the Fire iirgade and apparatus, as much money as would have paid their moiety to the maintenance of the Ponsonby branch brigade for the next half century.

As to the origin of the fire little is known, though there is reason to believa it has arisen from tramps sleeping in the unfinished shops cf Mr. Allen. Mr. tl. E. Griffiths, telegrap'i operator, of Sentinel-road, Ponsonby, informed our reporter that last Monday morning, on returning from night duty, between one a.m. and two a.m. he heard sounds of a man snoring on the ground floor of one of the shops. Mr. Olive, ot Blake-street, Ponßonby, tlie contractor for Mr. Allen's shops, states that he had barricaded the trout with battens 5 feet high. No tramps, or other strangers, had been seen near the buildings during the morning, by the few neighbours stirring about. Mr. Olive was careful ia removing any accumulation of shavings in the pre mises, and they were remarkably clear of them, the places beiDg ready for varnishing. It is kuown that certain vagrants make a systematic practice, all the year round, of going (rem oae unfinished house to another, in process of erection, fur shelter for the night, and lie in the shavings. Possibly the occupant lor the night, on Sunday, may have been the man, whose snoring was heard by Mr. Gnfiithe, on Monday night last as he passed the building, and that in leaving in the morning, the tramp has careles«ly thrown down a mateti in lighting his pipe. Air. Olive has been particularly unfortunate. He had u builder's risk ou Allen's two phops of £200 in the New Zealand Insurance CoinpaLy, but owing to his being delayed in getting some of his timber his riek had run out on Friday lagt, while h;: could not finish up his work till the present week. He thought the risk of the two or three days uncovered would bs but slight, and neglected to renew hirisk. Mr. Allen, ascertaining this, applied at the New Zealand Insurance Company's office for an ordinary policy of £400 on the premises, and they agreed to hoUi tliem covered tiil Tuesday, till he got bis ap plication dealt with. He had just left Messrs. Archibald Clark and Sons' emplov on Saturday night, m order to commence business in the new premises during the present week. ~!r. Olive not only loses on the contract, but all his tools in addition, which were burnt, and his men also lose theirs. He is a hardworking, industrious tradesmen, of excellent reputation, and very general sympathy was expressed for him and his family m his misfortune. Ili3 loss will be fully £200, which he can ill afford.

The fsilowing are the insurances, but no doubt some of the risks have been re-insured: —Allen's two shops and two cottages, £600 in South British, £400 i:i New Zealand ; workshop and st»ble, uninsured. He estimates his loss over insurance at £400. Hyuaiason's stock an i furniture, £475 in Royal, £100 in Union ; Mr. Bishop (Allen's tenant) had his furniture insured in the Imperial for £100, of which part was damaged ; Mr. Smith was wholly uninsured, and has had his effects knocked about; Mr. Gilford's cottage was insured for £275 in ftouth British, loss being £50 to £LUO; Mr. Haszard, his tenant, had his furniture insured for £100 in the Imperial, partly damaged. Total insurances, £2050. The damage occasioned is estimated at £3000.