FATAL FIRE IN WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11301, 20 December 1898, Page 2

FATAL FIRE IN WELLINGTON.

TWO LIVES LOST.;!

. ; : -V/j'^^-WiiL^GTQNfbecamber'lO^''' About •I1 o'clock.this'morning a firer broke put in the Royal Oak Hotel;\one of the largest hotels,in Wellington, 'which covered an ex-. tensive area of aground at the donier of Cuba and' Manners streets, and. it spread,with'such "amazing :r.a])idity-that, ;sopn ,the. whole part of the .building -facing-Cuba- street was a mass of 'flames. ' The1 full eprnplemerit'of firemen were speedily 'on. the scene,* but, despite -their efforts, it;was obvipusthat,-the building r .was utterly .doomed. \ ~-''"■ ! '.' The flames Bpreail with extraordinary rapid--ity, -and the -inmates, were ' satisfied to. escape with their lives,- without troubling, about any of! their personal effects! It was nearly 3.30 before the flames were,.subdued sufficiently to allow, the firemen.to make theirway into the.interior of the building. ~-.They Thou ' discoverea the ;-charred and partlycireissocl body of mail in the passageon the top stftre^of thb new brick wing, lying partly covered.by.aeons.from, tne roof above. This was identified as ttiavof MiGreer, a coin-' mereial traveller} from Sydney,1 representing |tho rirrn bt Greai', Fraser, aiid Co. Subsequently tno. body of. Mr George Blanclford, general ma.nager : fqr.Bing, Harris,'.1, arid-Co.') yt'tts lound-among the aebns.;, I,'._;••, '..'. •- , ; Som6Ot tlici other: boarders, .oi v.aio.in.tn.ere were 43,r;forb only arounea with tlie greatest, diiiiculty.' )jadics : rushed• from the;burning1 puUcUng'.in. 3cant attire, their- shrieks: of dismay bemg heard' j, considerable distance' away. A. J'renchrnnii named G. Faulbaum, whose bedroon. was near Greer'e, jumped about-25£t. from une. window, on iothe root of iv corrugated ■'-■op slied, . through which he disappeared, and was .pickod. up with a broken' ankle-. An American; named Sharplesß also juinpea through » fandow l'rorn the top storey. ■...'■■■' ' ■' ' ' '■'

Mr O'llogan, sx'v.tj.'.'k.,' wno was staying in the notel, was-sitting with; other; gentlemen in llio Iront commercial room., when one of the barmaids raised tha alarm of fire. Mr O'Regan and others at once, ran'upstairs and gave the alarm, and assisted several women out of thd building. In a tow ■jfninutea, however.' they had to baat a hasty retreat, the fire Having rapidly, taken possession of the, whole, .of the Cuba street side,of the building. ~ ...-.■ The extraordinary-rapidity, with wh'icn tlie riro spread was due to the fact that there was only, one brick partition in.the whole b.uildm<» —that between the old and the new wing*. Aft the rest were wooden, and vvheri".tha flames once got a. good hold they licked up e\erything .in no time.' When the brigade ■ first\trrived'they occupied nearly 15 minutes in saving lifo. Thoro was a good pressure of water, but the brigade complain that the ap-'*l pliances were defective and deficient foe tha great work they had in hand. ■ Captain and Mrs Rose and their daughters, r^no were on the eve of their departure from Ilia colony, were among the boarders. Miss. Hosts seised a, jewel case in winch she. had ■ £20, arid escaped in her nightdress'^ Hot sister remaining <t few moments to partially' dress herself. The latter's movements; ' However, wore considerably accelerated by the sight or embke pouring' down .{lie passage; followed by sheefs-'of Same.. • Both got out'uninjured,' one of them being' carried bodily part of tho way by a. gontleman. who met them. Captain and Mrs Rose also made their way out safely, though the time--^as,so.-limited that they were obliged to- leave behind a largeiamount of costly jewellery.. ; . .: , : The circumstances in connection, with the loss or life are very sad. Mr Blanflford was waiting-for a son who, was to spend Christmas with him, and. Mr Grcer's wife was down from Auckland to join him. Sir 'Lees, manager for Bing, Harris, and Co. ■ here, identified the body of Mr Bkndiord "at tha morgue. It was barely recognisable. ■'■' Mr Blandforci was general manager in Nev/" Zealand of the firm of Bicg, Harris, and Co.; warehousemen and manufacturers,- with Dunedin.ni) his headquarters. His vas ,i figure well known .in commercial circles in bothAustralia- and.New Zealand, and he was a man of undoubted business :ability... ,In various warehouses in-Australia, including Bar.;', good's establishment, he has held the highest positiorii), and his genial manner made 'him most popular, and-won for him the sincere're-' g.ird of'all*those with whom he canie in contact. Some six or-seven, years ago lie was the general manager for the firm of Butterworth Bros, in Dunedin, a. position he left to take one more lucrative in Australia/ In January, of this year ho returned to New Zealand to take the position of general manager-for Bjiiig. Harris, and Co. Mr.Blandfprd was an Englishman, about. 60 years of age, and he leaves '?, widow, .two grown-up daughters, and..four sons,' the youngest being seven years.' Mrs Blandfo'rd is .well known hi Dunedin as abrilliant'pianist, ever ready to assist in,any' movement. ' ' ' ' '' '"' ' :

Mr H.E. Greer was the head of the Sydney firm oi: H. E. Greer and Co., who represent chiefly D. Moseley and Son, Manchester,1 and' D. Morrico", Sonsyand.Go./'Montreai. He was but 35 years of age,- and was atajl, ■well-built man, and at one 'time a well-known athlete, it was Mr Greer's intention to make this his last visit to New Zealand, as lie had concluded preparations for a trip to England, and on his' velum he intended' to settle in Sydney, his brother doing the Now Zealand travelling. Deceased's wife accompanied, him, on this visit, coming from Sydney to Auckland, and when ho came ou.to Wellington by the Rotoiti last trip Mrs Greer w6nf to Tauranga, where her brothers reside: ' Deceased, who -was a'Manchester boy, also leaves two young children ill Sydney> • aged, two and five years respectively. Mr Gilmer, the proprietor, estimates,his loss at £20,000 over the insurance. He hns £15,000 insurance on the building, and £6000 on tlie furniture. The -hew wing, whicn was erected two years ago. cost £5000 to build, and £3000 to furnish. Mr Gilmor valued the furniture in the whole building at £12,000.. Only the other day he received £600 worth of new.cutlory, which lib 3 not been unpacked, and all was lost. Mr Gilmer's family saved none of their liersonal effects>- . : ■'*■;. ...--•'■ The Commercial Union had reinsured the followins- amounts out of their line of £19,000 on tlie building and contents: —New Zealand, £1750; South British, Victoria, Phoenix, Imperial, "Royal, North British, and Mercantile and Manchester, £1000 each; Royal1 E>:chauge. £750: Alliance, Liverpool and London and Globe, United'Northern,.North German, Norwich' Union, National, .London and Lancashire, Palatine,- and Australian Alliance, £500 eaoh:—tptnj; £14,500. The Commercial Union office had also £750 on the wooden building adjoining .tho Royal1. O.lc Hotel, miiUinjj'the,total insurances £19,750.