THE HAWERA FIRE.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 122, 3 September 1895, Page 2

THE HAWERA FIRE.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

(Hawera Star.)

The fire commenced in the drapery establishment of Mr C. Smith, and spread with groat rapidity to the adjoining shop of Mr D. Nimmo Scott, bookseller and stationer, which was quickly destroyed. The Egmout Hotel, in the same building as MrC. Smith’s, at once caught, and the fire spread with astonishing rapidity. Most of the inmates of the hotel escaped, many without their belongings, and

A SAD RUMOR, which proved only too true, got abroad that two boarders in the hotel had not been accounted for. The fire ran across Princes street to the Commercial Hotel, which was soon a mass of flames, and the sample rooms adjoinwere quickly attacked by the fire.

A STRONG WIND was blowing up Princes street, and this had the effect of sending the flames from the Commercial Hotel on one side to the premises of Mr Joseph Wilson, commission agent, and on the other to an empty shop belonging to Mr J. W. Kelly, of the Egmout Hotel. The Fire Brigade were quickly on the scene, but the want of water rendered their efforts almost useless. A DRIZZLING RAIN was falling, and this added to the general discomfort of the brigade and volunteers assisting them. The flames now attacked both sides of Princes street, and in quick succession the billiard room of Mr Newsham —in the front of which was the tobacconist’s shop of Mr Purser—the wine and spirit store of Mr Farrington, the bootmaker,s shop of Mr Semmens’, the new Post Office and the Courthouse—all on one side of the street — were in flames. On the other side, the shops of Messrs K. A. Kemp, baker, and 0. Cummins, draper, were soon a prey to the fierce flames, and all the buildings were quickly destroyed.

THE FIRE NOW SPREAD to the rear of the Commercial Hotel, where a long row of loose-boxes belonging to Mr Faber, livery stablekeeper, were destroyed, and from thence tbe outbuildings at the rear of the hotel became ignited. The Star office was now in danger, and a slight attempt was made to pull down the stables of Mr Faber, which were between the Commercial Hotel and Star Office. The process of pulling down the building being too slow, an attempt was made to BLOW IT UP BY DYNAMITE. This, however, proved futile, and soon the flames caught the machineroom of the Star Office, and quickly the whole building was in flames. All of the buildings mentioned were destroyed. On tbe right band side of Priuces-streetthe progress was checked by the brick building of Mr Caplen, solicitor, the front part of which was, however, burned. On the opposite side a thick row of ornamental trees between the courthouse and old post office prevented the spread of the flames to the latter structure; while in High Street the fire was stopped by the brick building of Mr Sutton, occupied by Messrs New r comb and Massey and R. Tait. Willing hands were working indefatigably; but the only good they could do was to save goods from the burping buildings. Water had to be continually thrown on the Empire Hotel to prevent it catching, and the premises of Messrs Ennis and Son, tailors, were in danger, but fortunately the spread of the fire in their direction was stopped. TELEGRAPH WIRES BURNT. The telegraph wires from tbe telegraph office to the Commercial Hotel corner were burned, and in consequence communication by wire with outside towns was completely cut off. GOODS SAVED. Very little was saved from the burning buildings. Only bedding and a few odds and ends were saved from the Commercial Hotel. From the Star Office, two jobbing machines, a quantity of type, stationery, &c., were saved, but the bulk of the plant perished in the flames. In the new Post Office everything was destroyed, including a complete set of new instruments. • LOSS OF LIFE. The rumor as to two inmates of the Egmont Hotel not having been accounted for turned out to be only too true, and the discovery of the charred remains of two persons points to the conclusion that Messrs W. J. Caverhill and A. Tourner have perished in the flames. Only a few bones were found, but sufficient to identify as human remains. RESULT OF THE FIRE. The result of the fire has been to completely clear a large portion of the town, and to remove some fine buildings which were an ornament to the town. ORIGIN OF THE FIRE. As stated above the fire began in Mr C. Smith’s shop, and we ..understand that Mr Jewell and Mr Allan Campbell were engaged in stock-tak-ing, when a lamp either capsized or fell from the ceiling and exploded. No doubt this will be elucidated at the inquest. LOSSES. Mr Kelly and family, and all in tbe House escaped barely -with their clothing, and it as yet remains a mystery how no notice could bo given. Mr Scott loses doable the amount of his insurance ; so in the case of nearly all the sufferers. The fire .is a heavy blow to individuals and to the town. MR ROWIN’ft LOSS. Mr James Kowiu, a. r. red from London on Tuesday and with his daughter had taken up quarters iu tbe Egmont Hotel. Mr Kowiu himself was absent in Stratford, but Miss Kowiu remained in the apartments in the Hotel. When the fire broke out she left the building in the scantiest of dress, iu fact no time to save anything. Having just arrived from England for a long trip, Miss Kowaa had a large

wardrobe, and a considerable quantity of jew T ellery, &c. In addition Mr Kowin had money, all his businesspapers in his boxes yet unpacked, and the loss he and his daughter have sustained he estimates will not be covered by £IOOO. THE INSURANCES. The insurances are as follow : Egmout Hotel.—F. Riddiford ; Building, £1760, London and Lancashire ; Scott’s shop, £IOO, Imperial; sample-room, £SO, Norwich Union. J. W. Kelly: Furniture and stock, £1250, Phmnix. D. N. Scott.—Stock, £250 Imperial, £250 United. Commercial Hotel.—Stock and furniture, £l5O Phoenix ; building, W. H. Hudson, £650 Phoenix, £BOO Norwich Union. C. Smith.—Stock, £SOO Liverpool, London and Globe. Lines and Co. —Building, £2OO Commercial Union ; plant, stock and machinery, £IOOO New Zealand. F. Purser. —Stock, £SO North German. G. Newsham.—Buildings (including Wilson’s office), plant, £260 Phoenix. C. E. Farrington.—Buildings (including Semmens’ shop) and stock, £SO Phoenix, £l5O North German. . A. Lewin’s, owned by H. Caplen, £2OO Phoenix. R. A. Kemp’s, owned by F. Riddiford, £l5O Phoenix. There was no insurance on the stocks of Messrs Faber, Semmens and R. A. Kemp, who lose all. Among the severe sufferers is Mr White, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, the furniture in the residence rooms having been turned out of doors, and having suffered by the rain, which, at times, was exceedingly heavy. Mrs McFarland at the Bank of New South Wales, also had her home turned upside down, and Mr Arthur and Mr Barton suffered to an appreciable extent from the same cause. No doubt Mr Caplen’s concrete building prevented the loss of Mr Major’s office, the two banks, Mr Arthur’s, and Mr Barton’s; just as Mr Sutton’s prevented the spread further westward than Mr Scott’s. THE POST OFFICE. The instruments in the new Post Office were saved, Mr Marton postmaster, and others having at once entered the building and removed them. The keys, however, were de« stroyed, as time would not allow of their being removed. A WATCH SAVED. Persons searching amongst the ruins of the Egmout Hotel found a watch, which Mr J. Aiken indeutified as the property of Mr Tourner. The watch had stopped at 1 o’clock. LUCKY ESCAPES. Numerous instances of narrow escapes are recorded. Mr S. A. Breach, of Opunake, considers himself fortunate in getting out. He states that on awakening he rushed into the passage, and on aceuont of the dense smoke he ran agaiast a wall. Being nearly suffocated, he threw himself on his hands and knees, and just then heard a voice asking if there was anyone there. He answered, and guided by the voice, found his way out.

THE INQUEST. The inquest was opened on Saturday in the Borough Chambers. The following jury was empanelled : —Messrs Davidson, J. Scott, C. R. Bayley, Pitcher, Whitaker, Blackburn. Inspector Thompson appeared for the police. Mr Barton appeared for the Borough Council, and Mr Dew an owner of property destroyed. J. A. Campbell deposed that they stock-taking on night of fire, and about 12.30 Jewell was at the counter in the shop, and witness was in the show room, when he heard a report as of a glass cracking. He rushed to the window and saw the lamp falling. In a few seconds the whole window was in flames, and his efforts to put it out were of no avail. Jewell ran out in the street and gave the alarm. 0. Jewell deposed he was working in shop at time of occurrence. Campbell called out “ What’s wrong with the window ? ” He looked and saw it was all in a blaze. Campbell called out, “ Run and give the alarm,” and he did so. C. Smith, draper, of Wellington, deposed that there should be about £3OOO worth of stock in the place. He would be a loser of about £2600. He had always found Campbell truthful and had not the slightest reason to doubt his version of the accident. J. W. Kelly, proprietor of the Egmoat Hotel, deposed he saw both deceased in hotel on Thursday night. Both their windows looked over the billiard-room. He thought from the fact that remains were found on the site of the billiard-room that one of them must have got on to the roof of the billiard-room and fallen through the skylight. He thought there must have been unnecessary delay in giving the alarm to the inmates of the hotel. There were 28 people in the house, including family and servants. He estimated his loss at £3OOO. Joseph Dixon deposed that he was aroused by electric bell in his room being rung from the fire escape. He got up ami opened door and saw a man there who said the place was on tire. lie went back to his own room to put some clothes on. He went to rooms 18 and 10 in which deceased were sleeping and found both doors locked, lie kicked doors and called out “ Fire ? ” He wont farther along passage till stopped by smoke. On way back repeated attempts to arouse occupants of 18 and 19. After hearing other evidence the jury retired and drew up the following verdict touching the death of W. J. Caverhill and A. A. Tourner ; “ That the deceased met their death by burning in the fire at the Egmont Hotel on the morning of the 30th instant, and that was the result of

accident, caused by the fulling of a kerosene lamp in the d.-apery establishment of C. Smith, llawen, and that as a rider it is the opinion of the jury that the enquiry shows that more stringent ru’es in the management of h tela for Iho protection of life and property are necessary in the way of lights in corridors and alarm bell, roan-ropes or rope ladders, also a night porter. Further, the jury consider that if a more (fficieut supply of water hid been available a great deal of the property would have been saved, and also recommend -that the Borough Council should make it imperative that party walls of brick should be built, and also take the necessary steps to better equip the Fire Brigade, and would also suggest a salvage corps being formed.”