DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 409, 2 June 1860, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

[From the Southern Cross, May 18.] A most destructive fire took place yesterday morning, between the hours of 1 and 2, which it is to be feaied will entail a heavy loss on our enterprising fellow-townsmen, Messrs Thornton, Smith & Firth. At about the time mentioned it was discovered that the upper pait of their steam flour mill, (a brick building), in Lower Queen Street, was in flames, and the clanging of bells in all parts of the town soon loused everybody from their slumbers. It was at once evident that no chance existed of saving the building wheie the fire had commenced, and the efforts of all weie immediately directed towards preventing the spread of the conflagration amongst the adjoining houses, most of which are built with wood. The engines were soon on the spot, and theie was no lack of men to woik them, whilst, according to the orders of the. military authorities, the ground in ftont of the burning building was kept by one company of the Auckland Volunteers, the lemaining three mustering at Britomart and Albert Barracks. The sailors of H.M.S. Iris weie ashore and at work in an ineiedibly short time — and worked as sailorß always do. As the roof fell in the fire extended fiom the mill to the adjoining bonded stoiehouse belonging to Messrs Henderson & Macfailane, — a brick building, — and to the waieliouae situated between the mill and the street, and used by Messrs Thornton, Smith & Firth, as a corn depot and office. Nothing lemained but to deluge the adjoining houses with water, and to endeavour, by pulling down the intervening houses, to cut off the communication between the burning mill and the block composed in the angle formed between Lower and West Queen Streets. Fortunately, the first attempt was successful, and the Blue Jackets, perched on the top of Messrs Henderson and Macfailane's front store, fiie-hose in hand, and in close proximity to the burning mill, stood their ground so well, that they not only prevented the store itself from catching fire, but gradually the effects of the constant stream of water, pouicd on the burning mass within the mill, became evident. In the meanwhile the other engines were playing on the buildings oh the upper side of the conflagration, and it soon became evident to all that the further spread of the fire had been stopped. One engine was worked by natives, who shewed great zeal, and did well. The supply of water was good, though dirty, and the intake seems to have mode, by its fire-quenching qualities, the amende honorable to those who had suffeied most from its effluvium. Towards 4 o'clock the flames gradually subsided, and the mill, which we believe was one unsurpassed in the colonies, was a mass of smoky ruins, lying within a brick 6hell tottering to the fall. It was built three yeais ago at a cost of nearly £9000, and when the catastrophe occurred, was filled with a valuable stock of wheat worth, it is said, £8000. The piemises and stock were, we believe, insured to the e\tent of £10,000, in the Liveipool and London and Imperial oflices, and though a considerable quantity of fine wheat has been saved, we fear the proprietois will be heavy losers. We are, however, glad to be able to state that the proprietors have leased the steam flour mill of Messrs Henderson & Macfarlanc, and will lesume business on Monday next. It is. rather remarkable that, at a meeting held in the town on the previous evening for the purpose of organizing a fire biigade, Mr Firth had been appointed inspector. Complaints have been made by several peisons residing in Parnell that no bell is erected theio. In case of fiie, or other alarms, one ceitainly might be useful.