GREAT FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

Colonist, Volume VIII, Issue 770, 10 March 1865, Page 7

GREAT FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

TWENTY HOUSES DESTROYED,

(From the New Zealander February 15.)

At a quarter past two this morning the inhabitants were again aroused by the horrible cry of fire! One of our reporters reached the spot within a few minutes of the alarm being given, when flames and smoke were issuing from the roof and first floor windows of the Victoria hotel, a wooden building, which threatened to destroy the five adjacent buildings occupied by Posseniskie, Haliday, Rattray, Hamilton, and Hampton. Within ten minutes of the fire being thoroughly caught, smoke was seen to issue from Mr. Posseniskie's premises. The inhabitants were aroused at once and the doors opened, when everything that could be saved was carried across the street. At this stage of the proceedings great credit is due to the compositors of the New Zealander who, being almost the only persons on the spot at the time of the alarm, exerted themselves in a most praiseworthy manner, sometimes risking very severe burns in their endeavors to benefit their distressed neighbors. After the fire had had uncontrolled power for about 20 minutes it was impossible to stand on the opposite side of the way on account of the intense heat. Heedless however, of the pain and danger of the position that they took, hundreds volunteered their services in carrying the property from the buildings to a place of safety. Among the most courageous acts we have ever seen performed was that of Bradley the celebrated whip, who penetrated into the bar of the Victoria Hotel in order to save what he could. He had been there, however, but a minute when he was blinded by the smoke and flames, and made as well as he could for the door, which he had no sooner reached than the floor of the room gave way, sending up thousands of sparks, so that this piece of heroism neaily cost him his life. But we have no time to record deeds like this, for as we write the flames spread. Haliday's has caught, and now Rattray's, Hamilton's, Hampton's. The greedy tongues of flames advance on their devouring path of destruction faster than our pen can trace. The great hope now is that the new and unfinished Q.C.E. will stop the fire. All hope is centred on a large brick building like that, for stopping the destroying element. The fire engines have arrived, and are busy playing on the front of the houses on the opposite side of the way. There are wet blankets over them, and it requires all the water the engines can throw to keep them from scorching. A cry rises that the new Q.C.E. has caught; we turn our eyes in incredulity,! andfwe see such is indeed the case within three-quarters of an hour of the fire breaking out the exposed beams and rafters are in one mass of flames, while numerous hands are employed in throwing the half blazing stacks of timber from the interior. As we look down the street, we see the fierce flames raging near, as while the position on which the Victoria Hotel stood is only marked by a few burnt poles standing fearfully black against the glare of the flames. The blazes rise in triumph over their prey, while showers of sparks fall hissing into the harbor and pond behind the buildings.

One of,these who made a great show of assisting in saving effects from the fire was found in the new Q.O.E. changing the old clothes he had and putting on a suit of clothes that he had stolen from Rattray's. We are informed that be was not the only ruffian who took advantage of the fire to commit robberies of various kinds. He was, however, taken in custody by the police and taken to the lock-up.

A csash!

The street is filled with smoke, and a fearful cry is rasied. As the blinding smoke clears away, we see that the upper part of the building has fallen into the street. The fearful thought of whether any of those, who have been so bravely working before the building, have met with a horrible death crosses the mind. This accident occurred at 4#20, and within a few minutes after a company of soldiers and the military fire engine arrive. The soldiers are at once stationed to keep the curious from danger, and the engine is manned. The fire has up to the present (3-40 a.m.) reached no further up the street than James's Q.C.E., from which the tongues of flame are rising in all directions, illuminating earth and sky with fearful brilliancy. Great fears ai*e entertained the fire will not stop here, in which case Bedford House, Montague's, and all the blocks up to the clear space in Shortland-street must go. Now we must look at the fire in Fort-street. Here the whole of the buildings known as the Victoria Hotel, Phillips' Store, Money Loan Office, the Caledonian Boardinghouse, kept by a person named Jackson, were entirely charred away by the fire.

Up to four o'clock, however, the fire has not ex;ended beyond Jackson's.

A number of chimneys and a few charred sticks were the only remains that showed where large block of buildings that ran from Fort-street to Shortlandstreet once stood. It would be impossible for us to give a description of the fearfully grand sight that the fire presented from Fort-street. The blazing buildings, reflected in the water below, and making the scene doubly horrible, and the showering sparks, seething as they fell into the water made the scene one not to be forgotten, without taking into consideration the fact of the desolate appearance of the streets cleared, and magnificent buildings destroyed in the back ground. The fire is evidently rapidly progressing up above, so we must return to Shortland-street. On coming here we find that our anticipations have been realized for the fire has spread from James's Q.C.E. to the next house, Bedford House, and from that to Montague's, which are now completely enveloped in flames, notwithstanding that scarcely half-an-hour has elapsed since we saw both houses in a comparatively secure state. Efforts are being made to pull down one of the houses in the street, to prevent the fire from spreading to such an extent as to destroy all the buildings on the north side of Shortland-street. Every effort to pull the house down is in vain, and the owners and occupants of the different buildings, aided by n umbel's--of volunteers, are using every exertion to save as many of their effects as they can. The street is littered with furniture, sacks, and goods of every description. From what we can now ascertain, at a quarter to five, no person was hurt by the falling in of the upper part of the Q.C.E., but several of those who have nobly devoted themselves to the work of friendship, have suffered severe burns in their work; several others also have had their hair and eyebrows singed off and their clothes altogether destroyed. At five a.m. hopes are beginning to be entertained that the fire will spread no further, as enormous efforts have been made, with partial success, to pull down the blazing remains of the house which defied their efforts a short time before, and also as the fire, in order to spread further in the same direction, would have to burn down Canning's new Steam Bakery Factory, which is a solid brick building, built in an exceedingly strong manner.