SERIOUS FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 866, 5 October 1888, Page 15

SERIOUS FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, October 3. At 2 o’clock this afternoon a fire broke out in the workroom of Hobday’s drapery establishment, which was quickly gutted and the surrounding shops injured. Hob. day’s stock was destroyed. The insurance on Hobday’s is £IB,OOO. All the offices in town are interested. Later. At the big fire which broke out at 2 o’clock this afternoon Hobday’s Co-operative Company’s drapery establishment was destroyed. The shops of M. Sandstein, jeweller, and Gould and Co., chemists, were seriously damaged, and the shop of Goodman, bootmaker, slightly injured. The heat was so intense that the front of the AI Hotel, on the opposite side of Colombo-street, was severely scorched, all the windows being broken, as well as the windows of three shops adjoining. The large skylight of Ballantyne’s draper’s shop in Cashelstreet, to the westward of the fire, was broken. The fire began on Hobday’s upper floor, but how cannot be ascertained, as the employes were absent at lunch. The flames Bpread throughout the building with wonderful rapidity, and the Brigade could do no more than save the neighbouring premises. The following are the insurances so far as they can be ascertained : - Gould and Go., chemists (greatly damaged stock), £SOO in New Zealand Company, and a £SOO policy in the Imperial Company (Dalgety and Co., Limited) was allowed to lapse 14 days ago. Hobday’s Co-operative Store Company’s insurances on the stock, all destroyed, are—£looo in Phcenix, £llOO in Liverpool, London, and Globe, £2OOO in South British, £IOOO in Colonial, £2500 in Sun, £2sooin theUnion,£lsooin the Northern German Equitable; total, £11,600 on the stock. Ou the buildings—£soo in Phcenix office, £ISOO iu Liverpo 1 and London and Globe office, £IOOO in South British office, £IOOO in Colouial offioe, £IOOO in North German Equitable office, £IOOO in Australian Alliance office, £250 in the Plate Glass Insur. ance Company; and the fixtures, £SOO in Liverpool and London and Globe office. Total on brick buildings and fixtures, £6750. The stock in the old wooden building was insured for £3OO in the Phcenix office, and £SOO injthe Colonial office. Total insurance on Hobday’s Co-operative store, £19,150. Insurances on Mr Sandstein's, jeweller- Stock, all damaged, in New Zealand office, £IOOO, half re-insured in the Union Company ; £SOO in the South British, £SOO in the Standard, £/50 in another office ; total/£2750. On fixtures—ln the Union, £100; in the South British, £IOO ; in the Standard, £SO ; total, £350. Total’ of Sandstein’s insurances, £3IOO. The Al Hojfcel, damage about £3OO, was insured in the Colonial, and Liverpool and Lbndon and Globe. ' Goodman’s' stock, was insured for £3OO in the Equitable. A considerable’ portion of the above was reinsured.