GREAT FIRE AT ORMOND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4200, 27 January 1885, Page 2

GREAT FIRE AT ORMOND.

MANY BUILDINGS BURNT,

NEARLY £2,000 DAMAGE

The largest and most destructive fire that has happened in the district for a long time past occurred at Ormond this morning, and has caused a great commotion there. Between 1 and two a.m. a fire was observed in a lean-to adjoining Mr Bidgood's stables, leased by him from Mr Croft, of Gisborne. Mr Pitcher was one of the first who noticed the fire. It rapidly spread to the main stable, the whole of which was soon destroyed. The flames then spread to a two-roomed cottage occupied by Mr J. Gillice, senr., which was also burnt to the ground. The outbuildings at the back of Mr Wallace's store also caught and were totally destroyed. The outbuildings consisted of a shed, stable, coach house, harness room, &c. It was only by the greatest exertions of tjie crowd, and by the pulling down of a, large stable between Bidgood's stable and Wallace's store that Mr Pitcher's bakehouse and store and Mr Wallace's main building were saved. In the meantime the sparks had settled on the Chandos Hotel, which was soon envoloped in flames. The wood being very dry in a few minutes the whole building was burnt to the ground. Tho fire then took the butcher's shop, occupied by Mr Whelan, bootmaker, the bi Hard room, and the old public hall, which were all totally d stroyed The inmates of the Chandos Hotel had a very narrow escape. One young man named Sharland, who was staying there for the night, and was sleeping upstairs, w<>ke up and found the end of his room where' the door was all in flames. He at once doused the fire with water from the water jug, but finding this of little avail he rushed through the fire and found his way out, but not without '< some difficulty, and having his arm burnt. Mr Wallace had 100 bags of grass seed destroyed in his outhouse. Last week ho came in to effect an insurance, but not having the dimensions of the buildings he arranged to come in to-day. He estimates his loss at over £200. Mr Woodhead had also a number of articles stored in Mr Wallace's building on which he had allowed the insurance to lapse, and he is a loser to the extent of over £100. The two-roomed cottage occupied by Mr Gillice was not insured, but part of the furniture was saved. The Chandos Hotel, butcher's shop adjoining, the billiard room, and the hall were insured for £525 in the Victoria and £400 in the Union. The stock and furniture was insured in the South British for £560. It is believed that Mr Bidgood's stable is insured for £100 but we have been unable to ascertain for certain. The buildings were so dry from the late hot weather that they burnt very rapidly. No water could be obtained from the buildings as the heat was so intense that it was impossible to get to the tanks or wells, therefore little or nothing was saved from any of the buildings An inquest will be held. The fire caused general alarm, and a large number of residents of the district were quickly on the Bcene, but there were others who knew nothing about it till they rose at the ordinary time this morning.

At Brisbane a Commission of threemembera has been appointed to inquire into the circumstances under which labourers from New Guinea and adjacent inlands were engaged, and into the manner in which the nature and period of engagement were explained to them before shipping. The Commissioners will visit places where such labourers mere employed, and will examine witnesses.