GREAT FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 75, 10 August 1868, Page 3

GREAT FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

(From Ihc New Zealand Herald, Auf/uH 3.) It in long rtlnao we have had nnuli a molan* eholy tank an that now boforo us, but this morning wo havo to chronielo ono of the most melancholy (WtiMurn Hint ban over luken place in our city. A fli-a took place yesterday morning in ono of tho mofit populous neighbourhoods of Auckland, and its re* flultH havo been oil tho moat dreadful dosorlptlon ,'— ' About half-piißt nix o'clottk on Hunday morning tho Inhabitant;! of Queen street and tho neighbourhood were htartlel by the dreadful notes of iho flro liollh. Tlio floono of the dl/HMicr wan Durham ntreot oam, and upon tho flrwt, alnrm beliiK given tho llro was diflcovorcd to bo ruglng in the leather and fiaddlory waahouiuH belonging (o \foHfirH Ireland RrolherH, On tho cca t Hldo of MeaorH Ireland'/! Htoro were tho Btoreii belonging to Mr J. Black, which wcro quite unlnnuml, and on tho went nido was tho Kxolmngo hotel. At the rear oCMeflrtni Iroland'n was Arthur'/) and Hoii'h auction mart, aloo uniiiHiireil, Mcflnrfl Iroiaud'ri HtoroA eonHlutod of a thrue-Rtory brick building with plato-glniia windows, and contalnod a very largo quantity of imported goodfl, leather, &o, Tho fire had taken Mich complete hold of tlio fitorefl boforo an«P alarm wan given, that upon tho arrival of tho Iflro Brigade, a fow minutofi after the belli bogan tolling, flamm could ho neon in almont all, iho windows, and onioke poured out from ovury available opening, Mr Cominlflflloiior Naugluon, with Sergeant-Mnjor Mfjlloy and tho wholo available police wnn on the neono boforo tho noto of warning, and tho Klro Hrigado, under iho command of, Mr Hiiporlntondont Aalmr, with great rapidity adjtifltul thoir honon from Iho flro plug at tho nornor of Viotoria street, and /it twenty minutes to no von woro playing with vory Illilo perceptible cflVct upon Iroland Hrolliern' HtoroH, About thl« time Iho (lumen Imrflt through tho entire building from top to bottom. Tho hnsa* woro High [directed toward/i the brlak building* on either »fdo of tho flrc, nml upon Uic walls of Mr 9, Morrin'n etoro opponiio, Tho doors of Mr Arthur* auction inurt woro then thrown open about 7 o'clock, and It was found that portions of blazing wood from Iroland tirotliorn' ntarcn had fiillon through thoclaon nky'lighln and had not ilrolotho goodfl in tho mart, Ntimhern oC m(,n iiumodlaloly volunteered uflHliilauoe, amonggt whom were several of our leading oitizoim, and a largo quantity of goodfl woro miootHnfully ro> moved from tho Imok part of tho ntoro, where tho flro was commencing, Mr JoHcph wllli ono of tlio flroinon utioeeeded In pulling down itomu parts of tho oMen which wan liln/lug, thereby eom\iorah\y arro/itlnffilio olomont; of dofltruotlnn. Tho roof of Mr Arthur'n mart wan oi! Ralvnnlned irniii At a quarter past flcven ft Lremendoufl Hhowcr of hall mid nloet foil, which no doubt materially rhalhukl tho effortft of tlio firemen to get tho (lumen under. During all thin ttme, tho way In which iho lioflcn woro worked wiih most oredltivblo • to Mr Buperinicndent Anhor, and tho mouihorft of the frlro brigade, who put forth their utmo«l encgluß for tho extlnmilnhlng of ihc flames. Mr htanip, in wir luting to hitroduco tho nozzlo of ono of tho bonoo into the window of. Ireland BrothcrV Htoro,rccolveda very bail gu»h in iho hand, iilmont Hovering ,the thumb, from tho glaoH of ihu window. About imU-jiaHfc (itsven o'clock tho flro seemed to aim to a Illtlo, and hopufl began to bo ontcrtaincd that tho worst was pant, Tho flro in Arthur'n auction rooniH wuh well under, and tho IniuMo of Irelnnd'H nloro completely gulled, no that there ficomod to bo nothing moro for tlio deHiroyor to feed upon. Mr Joseph and hiii party wero working a hofio imiido MoflHrn Arthur's mart whllflt Mr Anlicr was mipcrlntondlng tho play of thy other ono in Durham Hired, when the back wall of Ireland Brothero warohouno whb bccu by Uiobo at tho back of Mr Black's stores to totter and full upon tho ronf of Arthur's mart, A cry of horror arrmo from tho spcotatorffi and at tlio immo tlmo oriou nnd gronns could l>o heard nmid the eraflh ot falling bricko and Umber, There wao a general null of poojilo to the doors of tho mart In Queen street, overyono fooling cmmnlou* that nomo terrible ronnlt munt have followed Die nccldont. A parly of volunteers were admitted who, rcgardletN of tlio danger from falling briekit, o.ommeuacd clearing away tho rubbUh in order to roach the unfortunates who had bec>i burled In tho falling ruin. Tho crowd oulnldo with hated breath watched eagerly for howh of what had j haprened, and, ax ono by ono Iho injured pornons were carried or mipported out— Home covered with blood and diiHt, and with facon palo with Buffering— a murmur of ftympathy and couipiiHHion ran throimh the crowd, and wJien aliitio lioy wiih Boon tenderly Biirrlod out in the armn of a man appureiiily ll fcOoflu, moro than one oyo wiih dimmed with tears, Tho mournful proccsnion of thono carrying tho injured, proceeded down Queen street, and through the Auckland Hotel yard to the police fitalion, whilst varlom purwonn haiueiied or medical aurintiinco, Dm Kenderdlne, h'Udioldon, nnd Alckln, woro very nhorily at tho spot, and proceeded to examine the uiiflWorri, Tho rcmillfiof thin moAt uufortunalQ flre are very Horioiid, not only as regards iho injury to ilfp, but nl«o with regard to property. Menu™ Ireland, who rcMdo In Parnell, were down at lite flro at 7 o'clock, l<ut of courtio could only «cv iltulr property demroyod, being pnwcrlcßH to navo anything oxcept the mifc, which moot fortunately contained the books and fiomo valin.blo papers, &o, Tlilh was dnißßcd out of the door by means of iho , bight of a ropo thrown over it, and tho hoeod wcro occasionally turned upon it by the firemen, to counteract tho effect of the glowing hint of tho building,

Mesflru Ireland cetlmatod tho loan suatainod by tho dofltruotlon of tho building at about £1600, Tlio fltook contained In thorn, monthimported goods, was worth about £12,000, Tho wholo of this valuablo Block In utterly destroyed. Tho total loan of. proporty is ostimatcd at £ 14,000.