STAR TELEGRAMS AUCKLAND.

Thames Star, Volume III, Issue 1665, 20 April 1874, Page 2

STAR TELEGRAMS AUCKLAND.

PER ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN PRESS TELEGRAPH - ACENCY.

AUCKLAND. i I"I /'.;•;; ;/--^-^K^ Nt>^Sunday| j AJgreatJfire broke Out in* Queen-street, jon Saturday night. The premises of jKing, chemist; Marshall, fruiterer; Redifern photographer:; AWX Hurst, produce Inierchant; Cheal, hairdresser ; and Seymour, fruiterer, were burnt: d,own. -The Southern 1 Cross and Evening Star offices tand Vaile's drapery buildings were in great danger. The fire originated in King's, the chemist, who was taking down a bottle of turpentine, and br.oke it against, another jvesseli {the; chemical steam of; which ignited at the gas, and flamed up so rapidiy ;that Mr. King had to rush out without iwaiting to take; eventhe i cash out of the ; till. The shop was a dry, wooden building, and it burst out in a flame in a few iminutes. , Mr.>Redfern, the phptograher, (occupied the upper storey of King's .'building, and his place was destroyed jbefore ; anything could be, saved. ;>Marjsuall's, the fruiterer, adjoining, ignited {immediately, and burned with great rapidity. t The fire in the meantime extended towards the Cross, carrying away Hughes's oyster shop* Seymour's, the fruiterer; Cheal's the barber; Townsends, produce-merchant"; and W. J. iHurst's P rodu«e .and coal merchant. ;lbe eight buildings destroyed covered notnipre:than;lso^t e of frontages When all were a mass of flame the heat was intense,; afld 'Only n clpsing allthe,,shop S on the, opposite,side of the street,, and great exertions,on the roofs saved them from extending over- \ there, ;•«; The Southern prpss stood in,the greatest danger. The engine-room was several,, times on- fire. Ultimately great exertions • saved, it, though the, wall was damaged by heat. The water supply was most inefficient. ■The; .fire, engines were, (Useless, though the firemen, and vohmteersj > exerted themselves/to the .utmost. : The block;was just permitted to, burn out, .exertions;being directed |tp ( saving the neighbouring premises. ... The insuranqes,. so far as ascertained, ; are :—Nprwich Umpn, £1,200; New Zealand, £1,500:. Victoria, £1,500; Eoyal, £100 j South British, nothiog. ; TJie^fiieilai^higfht was sconifihed to thd premises named, although .the substantial brick buildings occdUpied by the Southern Cross and Vaile's drapery had narrow escapes. The /premises destroyed were all of wood, and the conflagration was checked by Vaile's at one end and the Southern Cross ;att'ie other. •■> The'buildings were all oldji and quickly^ demolished as the firegot firm holdi: Great exertion was put forthitoipreyent the spread' of the flames. Buildings >in rear of thdsfe; burning,: i which ; included ;jthe Evening Star office, had very narrow escapes, and- at one: time; there was; great danger of' the fire extending. .;iVi, r I -The buildings destroyed were all owned by.MrrWi-Goodfellow, of Otahuhu, and were insured in the Norwich Union for $700, and in the Scottish Commercial for £500. Mr Hurst's stock was insured in the Victoria, office for £700; Marshall's in the itoyal. for £100; King's in the New Zealand, for £700; Townsend's stock in the New Zealand, for £500; Seymour's stock in the JNew Zealand, for £200; Bedfern's stock in the New Zealand., for £100. The;, following is a summary of the losses sustained by the insurance offices: —New Zealand, £1,500; Norwich Union, £700; Scottish Commercial,'£soo; .Royal, £100 ; Victoria, £700. In addition to the insurances mentioned, some losses on damage to Vaile's buildings and the Southern Cross office will fall chiefly on the Norwich Union. Chisholm's house at the Whau was also burned to-nighf J It was insured in the New Zealand offif e, but the amount is not known. It is probable that the ship' Dorette will be admitted to pratique in a day or two, and the. passengers in a short time later. No fresh cases have occured. Application has been made to the Board of Health by the keeper for; four, constables to prevent the. single female, immigraots froai wandering about the island with the male passengers. The > application has been granted. , The brig Albion,. which i,ha& • been loading 1 sleepers iu the* Kaukapakapa; river, while, coming out got,ashore on the r6c%,,and broke lier.ba'ck. , wwMg* with four'feet "of water in her hold. She, is owned by Messrs Henderspu and Ma'c- { farlane, of Auckland, and is reported to be insured for $2,jb00. „ , _ hJ , This day. The brig Albion is insured for £2000. It is believed that the cargo of 6000----sleepers will be easily got out of her. Mr. Chisholm's house was uninsured^