WESTPORT FIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 12

WESTPORT FIRE

MAIN BUSINESS AREA WAREHOUSE AND HOTEL SEVERAL OTHER SHOPS ESTIMATED LOSS £IO,OOO [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] "WESTPORT, Wednesday The most disastrous fire in the history of Westport occurred early this morning, when Hansen and Company's two-storeyed Hall of Commerce warehouse, Smith's drapery shop, Fox's boot repair shop, the Waverley Private Hotel, the Friendly Societies' dispensary, dance hall and lodge room, as well as a cottage and business premises containing two shops, were totally destroyed. The damage is estimated at over £IO,OOO. Insurances total £6900. When the alarm was given about 2.30, volumes of smoke were emanating from the rear of Hansen's premises. The brigade was on the scene in less than a minute, but the fire had a good hold and in a very short space of time had worked its way into the central portion of the building, which quickly became a raging inferno. Flames 100 ft. High Against this the efforts of the brigade were of little avail. The lurid glare from flames, shooting more than 100 feet into the air, lighted up the whole town and attracted a large crowd of onlookers, who thronged Palmerston Street for hours.

It was obviously impossible to save Hansen's and the brigade concentrated on trying to protect adjoining buildings, but the lire spread in both directions until it seemed the whole block was doomed. From Hansen's the blaze spread to the Friendly Society's Hall and then to the main building, containing the lodge room upstairs and shops below, occupied by Mr. A. E. Fox, a bootmaker, Mr. E. R. Fox's office, and the Friendly Society's Dispensary, and the whole structure was quickly consumed. The friendly societies, comprising the combined Charleston, Foresters' and Loyal Waimangaroa Lodge and the Westport Lodge, lost all their regalja, merit boards, pictures, and banners. The piano, however, was removed from the dance hall. Destruction Continues The fire continued to spread, in spite of the efforts of the brigade, who by this time had every available inch of hose, with 12 or 14 nozzles, in operation. ' The cottage adjacent to Hansens' on the north side was q,blaze and in the other direction Mr. G. Smith's shop was burning fiercely. Efforts were concentrated on saving the building further south, occupied by Mr. M. B. Scully, a solicitor, Messrs. O'Connell and Hutchison, cabinetmakers, and Mr. D. W. Oxnam, butcher. This building, owned by Mr. F. Higgins, - was saved. The contents had been removed. A motor-pump was brought into action, a lead being taken from the municipal baths, but the petrol feed blocked, while the partial failure of the hydrant at the corner of Lyndhurst and Russell Streets, where water shot skyward, reducing the pressure, was a further factor which operated against the brigade. Full pressure from the waterworks had been turned on by the caretaker, but the hoses individually were not throwing a great volume of water. Dense Volumes ol Smoke Fortunately there was little wind, otherwise th& flames would have spread more rapidly. Dense volumes of smoke commenced to issue from shops nextto the Town Hall, and shortly after they also burst into flame, and one of the leads was transferred to cope with the additional outbreak. The frontages of the larger buildings by this time had collapsed, and the street was littered with debris. Even the asphalt was alight. The roar of the flames from time to time was punctuated by detonations sounding like machine-gun fire, the origin being presumably in the Friendly Societies' Dispensary. The heat was terrific and the firemen were labouring under difficulties. Near by buildings blistered and several plate-glass windows were cracked. Well after dawn, although the situation was then well in hand, firemen were still on duty quelling minor bursts of flame. Help From Heavy Rain During the height of the fire there were several/ heavy showers which, falling on the iron-roofed buildings close by, caused great clouds of steam to rise on which the flames reflected, adding to the awe-inspiring sight. The rain no doubt helped to quell the fire as well as being of assistance in preventing its spread by the cooling effect on other structures, and also by extinguishing sparks. To-day the centre of the main business block of the town was a scene of desolation. Details of insurances are:—Friendly Societies' Buildings, £ISOO (£4OO in South British, £3OO in Phoenix, £6OO in Royal Exchange, £2OO in Standard) ; stock and fittings, £7OO in Yorkshire Office; "VVaverley Private Hotel, £6OO in London and Lancashire Office, £2OO in Commercial Union; Hansen and Company, building, £ISOO in Yorkshire Office and £SOO in State Office; stock and buildings, £BSO in Yorkshire Office; Smith's drapery stock, £SOO in Yorkshire Office; E. and H. Morgan, £4OO on two shops and £l5O on dwelling, both in the Yorkshire Office.

DWELLING BURNED EOTOKOHU FARMER'S LOSS [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] PAEROA, Wednesday A large farmhouse owned and occupied by Mr. J. Costello at Rotokoliu, near Paeroa, was totally destroyed by liro yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. Costello were at the cowshed at tho time and two boys and a youlig baby were in the houso. The boys noticed smoke from above the fireplace coming into the kitchen. One boy ran to give the alarm to his parents, and thq other lad resctied the baby.

A piano and some bedding were removed from the burning house. No water supply was available, and the building was totally destroyed. It was insured, but details art not obtainable.