FIRE ON LAMBTON QUAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1714, 4 January 1905, Page 16

FIRE ON LAMBTON QUAY.

DESTRUCTION OF ST. GEORGE’S HALL. CANADIAN CYCLE COMPANY’S PREMISES R URJN ED. At twenty minutes past nine o’clock on Wednesday night the fire-beii at the Central Station sounded an alarm, and as it clanged, Lamb tun Quay was lit up by the reflection of names that had burst from the roof and front windows ox St. George’s Hall (opposite the Wairarapa Farmers’ Association building). The fire was discovered by a police constable, who immetl ately broke a street alarm-box and called up the brigade. At the time of discovery, however, the fire was eating into the heart of the building, and when the firemen arrived the flames were billowing into the night. The police, as soon as they found the building to be on fire, broke, in the door of the Red Bird cycie shop, which is on the ground floor, and dragged out most of the bicycles stored m front of the shon. Then they broke in the door of the Massey-Harris portion of the shop, but were driven out by flames and smoke. By the time the bngadesmen arrived there were several thousands of people around the burning bunding. Hoses were stretched, and the water commenced its work. A heavy southerly wind was blowing steadily, driving the hie backwards and sideways towards the b.g Drill,shed and Stout street. Had the wind been from any other quarter than the south, the firemen’s task would have been a much heavier one than it was. Although the blaze was one of the biggest m Wellington for some time, it did not last long, and two hours after the alarm was given there was left only the blackened, spark-lighted skeleton of the place. Half an hour after the brigade were at work there was practically nothing left to burn. The whole inside was gutted —eaten, devoured, gone. At ten minutes to ten o’clock the back part lurched forward, and sprawled downward amid showers of sparks. In front of the budding firemen worked their way closer and closer to the fire with the hoses. Every now and then the flames would strike swiftly towards them, like huge snakes. “ Come back, come back!” called the crowd, in fear lest nothing would be left of the firemen but their helmets, but no attention is ever paid to advice from a crowd. In a short space of time they had smothered the flames on the fore ground floor, and then they climbed after the fire with ladders. They seemed to bo utterly reckless or utterly contemptuous of the flames; They laid beneath them, or poured water ahead until a space was cleared in which to breathe again. When they had won their way to the upper windows there was little left to support the front wall of the building. It swayed backward and forward in the wind, and pieces of corrugated iron and strips of buimng rafters fell near the men, or out into the street. Again the orowd grew nervous, and clamoured for the firemen to come back, but they sat astride the window-sills on the swaymg wall until half of it fell down, and then they left it —not for the danger, but because there was nothing 111010 to do there. Then they carried their hoses through the skeleton of the old place, and killed the last of the flames in the corners at the back.

The corrugated iron building adjoining, owned by Joseph Naunan and Co., is leased by the United Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Association, and is used for the storing of potatoes, grass seed, and other produce. The building is only ngliLiy damaged, the brigade having been successful in checking the spread of the flumes at this point. In the touhmarine imnoig Corps’ shed in the drill hall yard was stored a number of rifles and a very small quantify of ammunition. These weie removed. A large quanticy of ammunition was storeu in a black shed, also alongside ciie drill hall, but there was no danger to it, and it was not removed.

The origin of the fire is, of course, not known, but a police officer who went into the budding early located the seat of the outbreak at a heater ased for bicycle enamelling. INSURANCES AND STOCK.

The building, a two-storied wooden structure, which _ had been a land-mark in V\ ellington for many years, was insured in the Commercial Union loi hitKJU. r i..e stock was covered by a policy of £4OOO, distributed as follows:—Alliance Assurance Company, £2500; New Zealand Insurance Company, £10J0; Commercial Union Assurance Company, £SOO tbeing a joint policy on stock, furniture, and fixings): total, £SOOO. 'ibis sum, however, does not include a policy held by Court Sir George Grey, A.O-F., on its regalia, furniture, etc., all of which was destroyed. The stock of the Canada Cycle and Motor Company was one of the largest of the k’nd in the colony. Only about twenty bicycles were on view in the

showrooms in front, but on a rough estimate there must have been about one hundred new bicycles (wtioie and m parts), and an additional bundled second-hand machines stored m the rooms at the rear. These, with the exception of about twenty-five machines which the police and other willing helpers managed to rescue after the fire was discovered, were totally destroyed, and the company’s loss must be a very heavy one. THE BUILDING. The building destroyed, St George’s Hall', ■was tor many years a leading place of amusement in the city. It is stated that it was originally erected by a private company as a skating rinit, and that Court Sir George Grey,A.O.F., having obtained the water frontage through the influence of Sir George Grey, reclaimed a certain area of land, and enlarged the building by adding to it the hall at the back, so long used as the meeting-place of tire court, and latterly also of Court Lady Onslow (the women’s lodge of Foresters). St. George’s Hall was an important theatre away in the seventies. Old playgoers remember the performances within its walls of the Lydia Howard Opera Company, the Davenport Brothers, of cabi-net-trick fame; the Woodroffes, nobable glass-blowers, and other travelling companies. In course' of time Court Sir Grey acquired the ownership of the whole building, and evctntually it was leased by Messrs Kirkcaldie and Stains, the well-known drapers, who used it for a considerable period for the carpet and linoleum branch of their business. The Canada Cycle and Motor Company became subtenants a few years ago, taking the front part of the building cn the ground floor for the purposes of their bicycle business. Kirkcaldie and Stains retained part of the building for the manufacture of bedding, and had carried on this industry there ever since. Amongst the property of Court Sir George Grey lost in the flames was its fine banner, imported some years ago, and well known from its appearance in Lodge processions. A NARROW ESCAPE. In the later stages of the fight with the flames three firemen had a narrow escape from death. They were working a nozzle on the smoking verandah of the building directly under the electric Lighting wires, unconscious of the fact that portions of the front wall had fallen on the wires, and that they wei e about to fuse. The crowd noticed the danger, and did not hesitate to call out, but the three men m shining helmets continued their work. Superintendent Hugo, however, noticed the danger, and promptly ordered the men to “come down.” A minute later there was a loud report, and the wires spluttered and fused in a moat alarming manner around the spot where the men had been kneeling. “I just got them down in time!” Superintendent Hugo was overheard to remark some time afterwards. MISCELLANEOUS. There was naturally a good deal of excitement amongst the large crowd which assembled. David McDermott, married, residing at 14a, Queen street, employed in the Government buildings, in his haste to reach the scene of the conflagration, collided with another person, and had his hip dislocated. He was attended by a doctor, and was subsequently removed to the hospital. The fine-police deserve praise for the excellent service they rendered the brigade. Thanks to tlieir help, and the skill of Superin ten dent Hugo’s own men, seven leads of water were playing on the burning building shortly after the alarm was sounded. At one tiriie the United Fanners’ premises seemed in danger, but a good supply of water and a favourable wind saved them. A quantity of produce, however, was damaged by smoke and water, and a big gap was left in the northern wall of the building.

The premises of Messrs Ballinger Bros., which are close to the budding destroyed, escaped without injury.