FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11824, 29 November 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

FIRES.

FIRE IN WELLINGTON., HOTEL DESTROYED. MANY NARROW ESCAPES. THREE PERSONS SERIOUSLY INJURED. W ..;ton November 25. JUST after two a.m. a fire broke out in the Oriental Hotel in Willis-street, which was entirely destroyed, while the shops of p, Grady (jeweller) and Christeson (tobacconist) on each side were also ruined.

The hotel was a three-storey building 0 f wood and iron, and so rapid was the jpread of the flames that many of the lodgers had a narrow escape from death. Several had to jump from the upper floors, and of these three were taken to the hospital injured, viz., Chas. Bell, son of Mr. James Bell, of the Ada Dclroy Company; William Crawford, a dealer in gkins; and Jack D'Arcy, labourer. When a constable saw the flames in one of the windows of the top storey of the Oriental Hotel, the fire was restricted to very narrow limits, but the dry wood ignited with startling rapidity, and," almost whilst he was giving the alarm, the flames had seized the top of the ceiling, and were actually bursting through the roof.

MARVELLOUS ESCAPES. Then arose a scene of dread within the walls of. the hotel itself. From every room it seemed on the top Hat there 'rushed frenzied human beings, shouting for help; for, as the hotel was full of boarders, the scene can easily be imagined. One man, dazzled in his half-sleep, sprang from his bed, seized his wife and child and hurried them out (he does not know even now how he did it), and then, hastily putting on some clothes, jumped from a window, saving himself only by landing on a lean-to. Another man rushed to the door of his room to find the Sanies licking his face as he opened it. He and a fellow boarder then leaped from the window, falling about 15ft on to a roof below, and then to the ground. Breaking their fall saved their lives.

A MAN INJURED. Another man, Charles Bell, son of Mr. James Bell, of the Ada Delroy Company, essayeu a similar feat, but with much more serious consequences. The poor fellow struck the roof, but apparently rebou.uled on to a concerte landing below. It is believed he Las suffered internal injuries. In the meantime the fire had seized the ■whole top portion of the building, which was of three storeys. Looking at the. scene as masses of flame leaped out of the windows and shot an immense volume upwards through the roof, it was impossible to think anybody could come out. of the place alive. It was a veritable cauldron of fire.

FIGHTING THE FIRE. When the brigade got to work there was a lurking fear that all the inmates had not escaped. The brigadesmen began a valiant fight, at once running out their hose and hoisting a telescope ladder immediately in front of the sheet of flames, precisely where it seemed no human being could live. And » great crowd, which seemed suddenly to have sprung into life from the four corners of the earth and gathered to watch them, breathlessly, whilst even the half-naked men and women who had come out of tile burning building forgot the peril they hud just been through, and stood in the street to witness the fight with the fire. The majority of them were in their bare feet, and wore scanty garments they had picked tip in their panic. Some of the boarders who escaped by the back of the hotel climbed up on a hill at the back in the direction of the Terrace.

The work of the brigade was especially perilous from the fact that the top portion of the building, as the flames spread, threatened to fall outwards and bury the men. Two or three firemen climbed into the second storey and entered the window with a lead of water, while the parapet immediately above their heads was hidden by flames. It seemed to the onlookers that they had actually entered the cauldron, and one was appalled at their daring, whilst he found himself wondering how they managed to find a foothold there. Other firemen ran into the lower storey, and there, right beneath the flames, and amid showering sparks and- falling beams, battled with the fire, whilst some again valiantly stood on the roof of Grady's store, in the face of scorching heat, and held their ground with the hose. Suddenly, amid cries of warning from the crowd", beams from the roof began to fall. S

A mass of burning timber from one corner fell with a crash through the roof of Christesen's shop, and, just as the brave fellows who had Workeu in the midst of a sheet of flames got out in time to save themselves, the remainder of the parapet toppled and then fell. Before lokg the hotel was gutted and its contents destroyed. SENSATIONAL INCIDENTS. Mr. Aubrey Douglas, a member of the Bijou Company, occupied a room three doors from where the fire originated, having Mr. Arthur Blanchard as his room mate. Mr. Douglas was awakened by a cry of "fire," and, awakening his companion, immediately went to the door. Here he was met by a volume of smoke and flame, which drove him back into the room. The pair then sought to escape by the window, and, failing to find any rope, they attempted to slide down the water-pipe. This also proved impracticable, and, seeing the fire was rapidly .training strength every moment, they sprang into space. They escaped wi a severe shaking. Mr. Frank Lewis, who was employed on It-he Hansard staff last session, was also among those who had to make their exit from the top fiat. When he became aware of the place being in flames it was too late for him to get down the stun-way. He succeeded in loyering himself from the window by means of a rope. Miss Lesuer, a barmaid,, went through the same performance to reach the ground. One of the housemaids, who tried to adopt the same means of escape, failed to get a giasp of the rope, and fell, spraining her arkle severely.

The inmates were taken to the Britannia Hotel, where the scene was a sad one. Some of the refugees were injured, others half or fully dazed with fright, and al. were wet, cold, and miserable. THE INSUtuuSCES. The insurances on Oriental Hotel are: — Building: South British, New Zealand, and Commercial, £833 6s 8d each. Contents: in South British, £1000. Townend and Paul's buildings (occupied by Christeson and others): Royal £2000. J. and It. Morley: Royal Exchange. £800 Grady's buildings: New Zealand, £600: Stock : "Phoenix, £300 ; South British, £300 ; Norwich Union and Victoria, :ti2oo each. Robinson, jeweller, damaged: Standard. £'100. Wellington Cycling Club, contents: Pbcer.ix, £350. , it Miss Murray (florist), who was on the ground floor of the hotel: Contents, South British. £300. , _~ 1 ■ Davis and Harris (music sellers) : Stock. Northern, £1500; fittings. Northern, £100. Christeson. furniture and stock: Royal Exchange, £1000. mnn Canada Cycle Company: Royal, £400 on stock and fixtures. Later. Wlliiim Crawford, one of those who escaped from the Oriental Hotel this morning, died in the hospital to-night from shock. The unfortunate man was discovered wandering about the streets half-a-mile away from "the fire about an hour after it broke out, apparently bereft. He was conducted to the Central police station, and after las burns had been dressed by a surgeon he was conveyed to the hospital. The" following offices hold risks in buildings affected by fire as reinsurances : —Imperial, Victoria', Australian Alliance, Liverpool, London, and Globe, Phoenix, Norwich Union, Royal Exchange, Manchester, and Northern. The known insurances are £12,500. All the members of the theatrical companies who were staying at the place lost their entire wardrobes, and there are many pitiable cases of distress amongst them. A

benefit performance on their behalf will be given in the Opera House on Saturday afternoon.

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION. [J)T TELEGRArn.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] __ , Wellington, November 25. J-he fire which destroyed the Oriental Hotel this morning was one of the most sensational which has occurred in Wellington for some time. This hotel was situated in the centre of the business portion of Willisstreet, one of the main thoroughfares of the city. It was built over 20 years ago, and for a time was known as the Melbourne Hotel. Constructed of iron and wood, it was three storeys high in front, and ran right back to the rough rockfaced bank which juts out from Boulcott-street. The building contained some 50 rooms, of which 40 were used as bedrooms. During the last week the Oriental was crowded with visitors who were attending the races. All the bedrooms were fully occupied, and there were also nine extra "shakedowns." Considering the number of people in the hotel, it is a marvel that all the inmates escaped with their lives.

From the first moment of the raising of the alarm in the hotel the scene became dreadful. Women screamed and men shouted. The great majority of the inmates entirely lost their presence of mind, and pandemonium prevailed. Two boarders, E. Monckton, described as a photographer, and C. Buckingham, cornet player at the Theatre Royal, gave the alarm to those within the hotel." These two, having gone upstairs late, were sitting chatting in bedroom number eleven when, according to the statement of one of them. he saw the light from an adjoining room. Monckton and Buckingham roused the inmates, and Monckton, rushing downstairs, called to the night porter, who was scrubbing one of the rooms, to come upstairs with a bucket of water. The night porter hurried to the top floor, carrying a bucket of water, but by this time the fire had a good hold. There seems little doubt that bad Monckton and Buckingham not given the alarm so promptly the results of the fire would have been much more serious.

Constable Ryan, who was amongst the first on the scene, ran "in by a door on Willisstreet which the night porter had opened, and rushed upstairs, continuing his journey right to the top storey. On the second stairway he found the smoke pretty thick, but, anxious to rouse anyone who might be sleeping or to assist those already awake, he kept on his way. "The shrieking at this time was terrible," he said to-day. " Women were screaming in all directions, and I never want to hear "anything like, it again." The smoke was rapidly becoming denser, and in one place Ryan had to leap across a line of flame. Then a piece of wood from the ceiling fell and struck him lightly on the arm. As the outlook was becoming distinctly perilous Ryan , who was now beginning to choke from the smoke, beat a retreat, half running, half falling, down the stairway.

INQUEST ON CRAWFORD. November 26. An inquest was opened to-day concerning the death of William Isaac Crawford, who met his death through injuries received at the burning of the Oriental Hotel on Monday morning. The medical evidence showed that deceased was terribly burned about the head, arms, and body, and also on the tongue and throat. Crawford occupied a room on the second floor, and was aroused by the night porter, a negro, who appears to have acted with great bravery and presence of mind throughout. Low Crawford reached the street is not yet chic, but he Was found wandering about on the railway station in great agony. He told the hospital surgeon that he had been drinking on the previous night. Death was due to shock. The evidence has not concluded. The inquiry was adjourned until Monday. Crawford had been in the Wellington district for two or three years. He was a student at Trinity College, Dublin, and the only surving son of the late Robert Crawford, of County Sligo, Ireland. He was mostly engaged during his colonial career in scholastic and literary work. At one time he was a master at Newington College, Sydney, and later at the Armadale Grammar "School. Thence he went to Queensland, and was engaged in teaching work at Bundaberg. During the whole of this time Mr. Crawford was a pretty constant contributor to many of the Australian papers. Some two years ago he came with his wife :;o New Zealand, and for some time past ha.i resided at Masterton, Where he was engaged in coaching, and teaching shorthand. Mr. Crawford leaves a widow, who is well known in Wellington as a clever miniature painter, and two infant children.

We are informed that the total South British risk has been reduced by reinsurance to about £500, and that of the New Zealand to between £500 and £700. THREE CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH. A fire occurred near Te Aute about midnight on Nov. 21 which was unfortunately attended with fatal results, three children being burned to death. The house, a small one, which was owned and occupied by a halfcaste named Rupene Eureta (Reuben Edwards), who at the time of the occurrence was away from home shearing at Kerens, Was burned to the ground. Edwards' wife, a Maori woman, and another native woman, who were sleeping in the house at the time, just succeeded in escaping with the baby. The three older children, however— girl 12 years of age, another girl of four years, and' a boy of five years— burned to death, the remains being charred beyond recognition. Much sympathy is felt for the parents, both amongst natives and Europeans, Edwards being well known throughout this district.

Messrs. itobertson Brothers' timber factory, at Nelson, was destroyed by fire early on the —... of November. The cause of the fire is supposed to be a spark from the engine whilst the fireman was at breakfast. The damage is between -JzOOO and £3000. The insurances are as follows:—Royal, £500; Norwich and Imperial, £350 each. About £50 worth of damage was done to the adjoining workshops of Mr. Peart, engineer, who was uninsured.