FIRES IN AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10240, 24 December 1894, Page 6

FIRES IN AUCKLAND.

PORTION OF THE LUNATIC ASYLUM DESTKOYED. Auckland, December 20. A fire broke out at the auxiliary lunatic asylum, Avcndale. The patients wore got safely out, but tUa fire is in progress, and it U said the staff will bs too small to stop it, as tb.fi building is a wooden one. A contingent o£ the Auckland Fite Brigade and of police have goas out. , Later. The latest intelligence telephoned from Avondale Asylum is that the wooden auxiliary building of ths aajluin, half a mile distant, is, as for as can be sstio, completely destroyed by fire. The inmates, 100 iv number, were couvslescents, and tbo&e able to work on the auxiliary farm, so far as is known, were all got safoly out, ac no loss of life is reported. Auckland, December 21. A fite bucks out last night at the auxiliary asylum, Avondale, half a mile distant from the main buiSdiug. The are resulted in the complete destruction of the auxiliary buildings, which were of wood. The damage is estimated at from £8000 to £10,000. l>r Bestty, the assistant medical officer, received somewhat serious injuries in the way of bums, "'he whole of the patients in ths auxiliary, to the number of about 120, were saved. The outbreak occurred in wfeat was known, as ths auxiliary asylum, about half a in no from the principal block. The auxiliary was occupied by about 120 male patients who were able to wcitc the farm, the st?.ff superintending thorn. The structure was entirely o£ wood, w»s one-storey iti height, and occupied about t*u arao aac! a-half. It was in the form of a quadrangle, fee ttiteheu, lavatories, and offices taking up the whole of ons side. Two of the j other sid«s were dormitories for patients, and the fourth side formed the cennecting corridor, on which the other buildings— | billiard room and other apartments— abutted, forming two wings attached to the main quadrangle. During the evening a dance was in progress in the main building, and juct as the last danen finished the fire alarm j rang out. The auxiliary asylnm patients had all been seen saMy in their night quarters, and j Mr Wybonrne, the farm manager, had about completed his usual rounds when he noticed a, smell of fire. His in ventilations showed a fire in the bathroom. Mr Wybourue raised tibe alarm, and the patients were get frem the bedrooms and placed in the ceatral yard under i warders. Meanwhile help had arrived from the main j block. Ths fire-hose was fixed to the standpipe in the grounds, and a body of warders did their best to control the flsmes from reachisg the rest of the building, but what could be done with ons or two seta of hose, and worked with little or no pressure of water? While these operations were iv progress the female attendants and servants busied themselves saving t what furnitvire they could. Help in it« moB6 desirable form —that of the fire brigade—w*s not available, the brigade being engaged at a big fire in town. The police and salvage c.irps, however, joined in the work, I saving whatever was possible. Drs Robertson, Lowry, and Girdler joined with other helpers, Inspector Hickson directing the disposal of property saved. The wind up to that time had baen slight, but from its direction had driven the fire outward from the larger portion of the building. Here, however, was the stand-pipe, and the intense hefct Bet fire to the grass round it, soon rendering even th« slight check to the fire obtained from the hose ot less value than I ever. Then came a change in the bresze, and it was at once seen that the whole block was doomed. At great rit,k the helpers directed their efforts to imving the content's of tha second dormitory. But the flumes had got a | complete bold of the first dormitory before mauy minutes elapsed, aud a peremptory order was given everyoue to leave the building. This waa given and obeyed none too hood, for ths flumes ran along the heated timbers from ova i part to another with almost lightning speed. | There were several narrow escapes, and sonaa I were overcome by the dense smoUe. Drßsatity was about the last to leave, lie did not do this until he had received somewhat uorionn injuriea iv the way of burns, which necessitated his being sent to the main building, where Lis burns were dressed, and he then h;id to go to bed. A detachment of the lire brigade, more police, and msn of the artillery came upon the scene, bus they cou'id do nothing. The patients, as already stated, to the number of about 120, had early been assembled io the ward quadrangle. Some were able to render assistance, but the major portion remaiaed where they were placed nnfcil it was seen it would bs unsafe for them to stay there any longer. They were then marshalled outride and miu-ohed oft to the nis.in block for the night. One or two managed, iv the inevitable ' though very slight confusion, togw&ndcr. away— '

one, at least, into a neighbouring plantation. However, all had been accounted for by midnight, none the worse for the disastrous occurrence of the evening, unlesa relapses should ensu*. The fire w«i first noticed about bV.f-past 9, and by 11 o'clock r.very square inch of the acre and a-half of building* was iv flumes. The I night w*s a brilliant on«, never to be forgotten by those who saw it. One vast column of flame j which shot into tho air overhead with a dense cloud of smoke, while the corrugated iron roofing and lead piping melted and spluttered like boiling water. So terrific wan tho heat that th« onlookers could hardly stand 70 yards away. At midnight all that wan left of the standiDg building were 13 chimney stacks, while the burning and charred remains of the block lay nearly two feet deep. It is said that the dainago could noli be less th&n from £8000 to £10,000 when the value of the building and furnitnre is taken into consideration. The stuff lost a great many oi their belongings. Had there been a plentiful supply of water within an hour of the first discovery of the fire the loss would have beea comparatively small. As it was, it is a mercy that no lives wer» lost. Nothing further has been elicited as to the origin of the lice at the Auxiliary Asylum. Th« total inmates in the asylum at present number over 400, of whera one-third are women. Until additional accommodation is provided tbe institution will be considerably overcrowded during the temporary housing of the additional 120 from the auxiliary in the main building. The inquiry made by Mr Cooper, the | deputy inspector, elicited the fact that the fire could have been confined to the lavatory had thore been any pressure of water, but the water was a mere trickle, notwithstanding urgent telephone requee.ta to tho waterworks to increase the pressure. Mr Cooper reported that the fire apparatus introduced by Captain Hennah worked exceedingly well and answered all expsctations, but the want of water was fatal. Arrangements are being made to transfer the patients to Motuihi quarantine station.