FIRE IN STUART STREET.

Otago Witness, Issue 988, 5 November 1870, Page 9

FIRE IN STUART STREET.

On Monday, about noon, a fire broke out In a large iron building in Stuart street, opposite the Gaol, tenanted by Mr J. W. Jago, and used as a free store. It contained a quantity of flax, flour, rice, iron wire, and other merchandise. At the time mentioned, one of the men working in the store informed Mr Jago, then in his office, that some loose flax lying on the top ©f a stack of rice was on fire. Mr Jago at once ran off to alarm the Fire Brigade, but although that body turned out with great promptitude, by the time they had got their hose to the spot, the store was a mass of roaring flame, which was confined aa in a close furnace by the iron walls of the building, but came out, in huge tongues of fire, at the few windows. It was hopeless to attempt to save any of the contents of the store ; but the brigade had the important task to perform of saving the adjacent houses, and some valuable stacks of timber that were lying'close to the back of the burning building. The only houses in imminent danger were two small semidetached cottages lying a few yards from the side of the store; but, although a stiff breeze was blowing, it was not in the direction of the cottages, and the iron walls bo well confined the flames that a liberal application of water, and some wet blankets, kept the cottages uninjured. To preserve the timber was, however, a more difficult task, as the wind blew that way, and as soon as the roof and walls fell in, which they did in about half an hour after the fire commenced, a heavy volume of flame threatened the stacks, and it was all the firemen could do to keep it under control. The gaol was not threatened, but the authorities, in order to preserve it from all danger, kept its side and a little building standing nigh constantly wetted by means' of an absurd little squirt, the diminutive size of which provoked some amusement. When the greater part of the building was in ruins, but the flax and other combustibles were still burning fiercely, a dreadful incident occurred. The wind was blowing so strongly that the crowd, several hundreds in number, was enabled to approach very close to what had been the front of the building. While people | were thus looking on, a man walked de- j liberately out of the crowd into the burning mass, and sat down there. A shout of horror arose, and several of those who were standing in the front rank boldly ran into the smoke and flame and attempted to drag the unfortunate man out, but he wrested himself from their grasp, and scrambled still further into the flames. The firemen who were engaged in- protecting the timber at the back of the store, warned by the cries, instantly ran round, and throwing a stream of water upon the spot where the man lay, he was dragged out, and at once conveyed to the hospital. The whole affair was over in two or three minutes. The profound horror which it created may be imagined. The man's name is Thomas Homan, a carpenter by trade, and he has been residing in George street. Upon examination, it was found that he was severely burnt on all parts of the body except the chest, which his clothes seem to have protected. During the afternoon and evening he was in a state of delirious excitement, but could occasionally be got to give sensible answers. According to his own account, given in these lucid in- 1 tervals, he was delirious at the time when he walked into the fire, having abstained some days from drink after a debauch. It is expected that he will not recover. The fire was thoroughly got under in about an hour, but the firemen were at work for a long time afterwards. The total lobb is about LSOOO, the greater part of which is covered by insurance. As far as we have been able to ascertain, the following are the losses that will fall on the various insurance companies :—: — New Zealand. — Guthrie and Asher, store, fully insured, L 40 0; Bates, Siae, and Co., flax, fully insured, L 1035; X, P. Hay, flour, fully insured, L 235 £1670 Pacific 500 Australian Alliance 500 London and Lancashire 500 Victoria 960! Total £4130 The property insured in the last four companies belonged to Messrs Bright Brothers and Co, Messrs George Gray Russell and Co, and Messrs M'Landresa, Hepburn, and Co. The latter firm request us to Btate that the interest of all their constituents who had flax in the store is fully covered by their open policies of insurance. Amongst the uninsured sufferers by the fire are Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co, and Jeffries and Co,