FIRE IN A CATHEDRAL.

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

FIRE IN A CATHEDRAL.

ST. MART'S (WELLINGTOI^ GUTTm

lr ■■'•■":.;' .''.^EttiNGTQNj:Noveriiber.2B.^:, '■'■:•. JTorvaome weeks'past workmen' have been., engaged . painting: and' repairing -St. Mary's Roman. Catholic Cathedral, which is a; wooded' j'biuldine^O years old, occupying a promirient ■site in Hill'strect, where it can be seen from i..a1l parts-of the town.i. .This morning the jnen' were, engaged burning off the old paint'ort the tower, arid the flames'from'the lamp gob ,throuj?ha hole and ignited the timber: inside; ■the hollow buttress. Up this/it ran like a lift,, and in a short time ,the whole! tower ' was i,blaze.~.. The fire, was first noticed, about 8.4-5., .There was a strong head of water on, but the .pressure was .reduced from 160 to about, 140s. owing to the height of the site." Six lengths: of-hose were brought into use, and as''the tower stood at tho eastern.bnd of the building, which a strong south-easter, was blow.ing,'there seemed .good hope of saving the main' body of the ohuroh. But-bit by bit tho ,tower fell in, and just an hour from the start it:was all down. It was then seen, however, that1 the1 fierce" heat' had isot -the roof alight, and, creeping along under .the slates,, tra^ versed the whole length of the building. At the same moment as the tower disappeared,' "flames burst through the western window and 'enveloped the organ loft. It was thenall'up. 'with the church! The roof fell in, the upper;, windows were burned out, arid all the eastern, portion demolished.. Practically nothing but tlie, aisles are .left, and the.interior is a y/reck.. , The' onlookers were hot altogether satisfied with-the work-of the Kre Brigade,1 who have coped with other fires better than with this. It was the general opinion that the.fire should ,liavo been confined,' without great trouble, to the eastern end of the building. . A large portion of Hie seating and the altar furniture was' taken out, and the whole could have been saved, but tho brigade stopped the work off removal and closed tho. doors to- prevent' draught. . ; • ' •• ' . '■ ■'

■Wheii the fire appeared tdbe well in hand, it made a fresh start, and gained a firm hold. The interior walls and roofs, aisles,, and northern aisle were gutted, and the southern, jiartly burned out. Practically the' merest shell remains. ■ The loss is estimated ■at £■1000. to. £5000 ■■• above the insurance. The marble' altar, which is destroyed, .was.-'worth some. £600 and the organ. £900. ■ All Hie plate and- statues were saved; also tho register and the greater part of tHei vestments. The latter iverq piled on the footbath, .and suffered aftorwards from sparks; The music was mostly saved. A large number tof seats had to be left in the building. Sparks 'set fire to the Presbytery and Convent and Mr Gascdigne's house. The convent had a narrow escape, as sparks blow through the open window and set firo to the matting, but ftirtu--nately it wan observed in time.. ' ' -.■■

The New Zealand Insurance Company have a line of £2300 on the building,. £500 of which is reinsured in ,the London and Lancashire office. ■■. . ,•" . v ... ■ :

It is possible that the Roman Catholic Cathedral will not be rebuilt on the present site. When the building was first started 40 years ago, the ,bulk, of the population was in the Tliorndon end of the town. Now that the city has stretched three miles,: a central locality is desirable, ' and; following; the example of the-Anglican community) it is probable a parish church will be erected on the present site and a ce'ritral position chosen for the cathedral. v. ' ■'

. At a representative meeting oi the Roman . Catholics of Wellington, at which Archbishop Redwood presided, it was decided not to rebuild the cathedral on the old site, but to ■ procure a more central position and build ,a ; . large parish church on the site of St. Mary's,' ' It was resolved to make an appeal to the pub- •,

lie for fnnfls, and a large sum was promised in the room. ■■ ■■