EXTENSIVE FIRE AT NAPIER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1831, 24 December 1886, Page 34

EXTENSIVE FIRE AT NAPIER.

TWO ACRES OF LAND CLEARED.

DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £60,000.

Nap;eb, December 18.

The most destructive fire which has ever occurred in Napier broke out this mtorning m Tennyson street. The fire alarm rang about 10 o'clock, and the news quickly spread that the premises of Messrs Banner and Liddle, auctioneers' and insurance agents, were in flames. The fire brigade were on the spot in an incredibly short space of time, but the fire had got a good hold of the building, which was burning fiercely. The hose was promptly run out, but the water failed. The pressure was only low, and it was obvious from the start that the . building where the fire originated was doomed and that nothing could save it. A nasty north wind was blowing which threatened to carry the destruction to many buildings in the vicinity, and within three minutes the back fence and outoffiees of the Daily Telegraph newspaper office were in flames, as was apprehended. The thing had been too sudden to lead anyone to suppose that what first was but a little fire was the inception of a big conflagration. The Telepraph printing office was speedily levelled to the ground, and by this time the flames were spreading on both sides of that building, and Duncan's auction mart was in great danger on one side and a row of lawyers' - offices on the other. The fire was also spreading right through to Emerson street, there being a strong southerly wind, and several buildings were observed to have caught fire. Great efforts were made to save the large Criterion Hotel, as this would undoubtedly have caused the flames to spread along both sides of Hastings street. Fortunately the Criterion was at a distance sufficient to allow of the brigade rirecting their efforts to Tennyson street and the .other buildings off Emerson street. Hoadley and Co.'s fine premises were the next to take fire, and then Martin's (tailor), Sainsbury and Logan's new offices, and Neal (photographer). It was generally thought that the Hawke's Bay Herald office was perfectly secure from the devouring element, but the flames spread rapidly from Neal's to the Herald office, and it was soon observed that the latter was also burning fiercely. The whole of the Herald staff and a host of willing hands then removed cases of type, valuable documents, and everything that eager and willing bands could ay hands on, but the whole of the valuable machinery was totally destroyed. Farther up the street it was found that the rest of the outbuildings on the Government land were on fire, but fortunately those flames were speedily extinguished and gave no cause for alarm. As soon as the Herald buildings were reduced to-ashes great fears were entertained for the safety of St. John's Church and parsonage behind the Herald office, but the fire was fortunately somewhat exhausted before reaching the church. At the parsonage the furniture was being quickly removed — all too speedily for its good, for much was necessarily damaged in transit to a place of safety. Surrounding Messrs Hondley'B warehouse were numerous shops, and the fire was spreading'rapidly to them in a promiscuous manner which boded favour to none bat which meant destruction to all. Shop after shop went, and it was evident nothing could possibly save, the block. A suggestion to use powder was made but was not acted on, the idea being that as each building caught the flames would be Btopped there. The fire spread, however, notwithstanding all tbat was being done to stay its progress. While on one side of Tennyson street t.ho Herald office was being reduced to ashes, the Masonic Hotel was in flames, and Dr C atro's residence was beginning to furnish its quota_ to the devouring element on the npposito side of the street, and the fl-mes were also playing havoc with the row of small wooden buildings previously referred to. Fortunately its progress higher up had been stayed . There is a narrow street, Market ntreet, between Mr Spriggs' establishment and the auction room, and in that direction a boundary bad been formed and a limit set to destruction. At the other end there was a vacancy between the last office and tho blacksmith's shop, and the flames could not leap the distance.

In Emersou street the fire was raging on bMh Bides of the street. Blankets were in requisition to cover the various premises, and some willipg crowds of workers were rendering assist0.Q06; For an botir tfr& fire was at its fieYcesfy

and after that the efforts of tho firemen, who had been working like Trojans, were beginning to make headway on tbe flames, and from that hour, though the fire went on, it was within prescribed limits, and a sense of relief was experienced that, barring accidents, the worst was over. It was nearly noou before the fire had worked itself but, and even loug after that hour flames were still to be seen here and there shooting out their lurid darts,- and the smoke was everywhere. The firemen were busy in all directions, and people were beginning to move about with safety.

The damage done cannot be estimated, bat approximately it may be set down at from £40,000 to £60,000. What insurances there are cannot be known, as the Union office, one of the leading insurance companies in the district, has been destroyed, and particulars are not yet obtainable. The following offices and places of business have been destroyed : —

IS TENNISON STBKET, Telegraph newspaper office. Duncan's auction room. Sheath, solicitor's office. 1 cc, solicitor's office. Garner, deputy assignee's office Sainsbury and Lngan, old office. Algar, commission agent. Wilding Hud Co., 'timber merchant's office W. >• llison, surveyor's offi c. Chamberlain, commission agent. Martin, tilor. Sainsbury an > Logan's new offices. Ni-al, photographer. Herald newspaper offico. Masonic Hall. Wells' smithy, Evans, sa> idler. Eakins and Co's sheep dip manufactory. IN EMHHSON STREsT. Hoadley and Cis auction mart. Fitzhard (late fish shop), Nicholson, furniture warehouse. Jensen, jeweller, Leesong, surveyor, I.cvi, tailor. Garuham (late), painter.

The following premises are damaged:— Worth's bootshop, White's fancy goods shop, M'Gill and Campbell's drapery establishment, West's greengrocer's shop, Searle's millinery shop, Evening News printing office, N. Williams' painter's shop, National Insurance office. The following are the insurances so far as can at present be obtained :— S^uth British, £3130. New Z- aland. £2150. Colonial. £ 080. London and Lancashire, £100.

The above agures do not really represent the total amount of insurances, as in consequence of the destruction of the Union insurance offices, where it is supposed the heaviest insurances were effected, the amount cannot as yet be ascertained.

The fire commenced in a yard attached to Banner and Liddle's warehouse, where stood a number of cases of iron bedsteads packed in straw. How it arose no one can say, but it spread with alarming rapidity. Of course an inquiry will be held, when the mystery may be unravelled. Mr Banner, while going to a closet, was the first to discover the incipient fire, and the alarm was promptly given. The boundaries of the fire are marked very strongly, and the ground for two aores is bare. The insuranoe on the Daily Telegraph office is only £2000, so that the loss will exceed this by £2000. The Herald is insured for £4000, but the proprietors estimate their loss at about £1500 additional.

The clearance in the two acres, which 9 contained some of the finest buildings in Napier, is complete — there is nothing standing but a few chimneys and three or four lawyers' strongrooms, which bade defiance to the flames and remain a monument of their fitfulness and durability. On both sides of Tennyson street the work is complete, the fire on the one side having been bounded by a street at one end, and a vacant allotment separating a row of offices from a blacksmith's shop ; on the other side, the fire was bounded by some vacant ground on which, far back, timber was stored for the building of the new cathedral, and at the other end was Dr Caro's garden, attached to his new residence, and the tennis court lay between that and the fire in Emerson street. All the warehouses, stores, and offices at the back went, and nothing was saved between the vacant shop formerly occupied by Mr Boyd (shoemaker) and the saddler's shop of Mr Mills, which was fortunately not built closely up to. On the other side of Emerson street no buildings have fallen, but all directly opposite the fire are badly charred and damaged. The Herald and Daily Telegraph offices are wrecks; while of the Evening News office, which is on the right side of Emerson street, is badly charred, the front being destroyed and the inside severely damaged by water; while the type met with rough treatment. The Herald managed to save a great quantity of type, &0., but their loss will amount to about £1500 over the £4000 they are insured for, as they had a valuable lithographic plant in addition to the ordinary jobbing and newspaper ones.