GREAT FIRE IN TIMARU.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 181, 10 December 1868, Page 3

GREAT FIRE IN TIMARU.

.... "♦ IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OF PKOPERTY.

(From the Timaru Herald, Dec. 9.) Monday laßt may indeed be called " black Monday" for Timaru, as on that day ther--occurred one of the most disastrous fires tha. has ever taken place in New Zealand— a fire that in the short space of a little over an hour swept away over 30 buildings, and destroyed as far as we at present know, at least £70,000 worth of property. Unfortuuately the wind was blowing fiercely from the nor'west at the time, and to this cause may be assigned the reason that so many buildings, both isolated and in blocks, were destroyed, as the wind carried the burning embers and fired the shingled roofs of houses 200 or even 300 yards distant from where the fire was raging. As the Timaru Herald office was destroyed, and all our staff were engaged in saving what was possible from the burning building, we cannot give in this issue so full an account of the tremendous conflagration as we should have wished. The following is a list of the buildings destroyed: — ON THE WEST SIDE, MAIN SOUIII ROAD. Mr D. Munro's furniture warehouse Mr Kitson's offices (New Zealand Insurance Company) Mr Nelson, tailor Mr Knight, painter Mr Wood, saddler Mr Seymour, watchmaker Mr Salomon, draper Mr French, seedsman Mr Younghusband, bookseller Mr Greer, tobacconist Mr Jacobs, watchmaker Mr Eskine, grocer Mr Watkins, chemist Mr Williamson's offices The Bank of New Zealand The Post and Telegraph offices Private cottage up George street Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull's warehouses Mr Beldy, hairdresser Dr Butler, chemist Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull's ironmongery store The Timaru Herald offices Mr D. Salomon, draper Mr Bilton, bookseller Mr Byrne's private house Executors James King, butcher's shop and house Messrs M'Caa and Morgan, bakers Mr Hitch, tinsmith en the east side, main sooth boad. Mr Weaver, tailor An empty shop Premises of the Timaru Butchering Company Mr Perry's offices The Club Hotel Mr Mountford, photographer Mr Melton, private house Mr Melton's stables ! Mr Turnbull's brick building, occupied hy Fraser Brothers, butchers, and Mr Pogonowski, hairdresser A small private liouse The following buildings were damaged : — Messrs Cain Munro and Co.'s warehouses Mr Hutton, grocer Messrs Todd, drapers Mr Green, Ship Hotel. The fire was first seen to break out in a cabinet maker's workshop, at the back of Mr D. Munro's furniture warehouse. The boy usually attending there was for some reason absent for a few moments, and Mr Munro who was in his front store, was told that his workshop was on fire. He immediately rushed to the spot and endeavoured to confine the fire to that locality. But all efforts made were futile, as the flames speedily caught the furniture warehouse, and in a few minutes it was levelled to the ground. The fire also extended backwards, - and ignited some timber in the yards of Cain, Munro and Co., and it was feared that the whole stock of timber would be burnt, together with a large stock of coal lying in the same yards. But plenty of willing hands were ready, and the timber was saved; and by the same meana l the house occupied by Miss Rose, standing at the back of the timber yards was saved, for | its destruction was certain if the fire had spread amongst the stacks timber. The j warehouses of Cain, Munro and Co were in imminent danger, being only about 12 or 14 l feet from Mr Munro's furniture warehouse, but a body of men set to work to cover the roofs and portions of the buildiog nearest to the fire with blankets, keeping them saturated with water which was fortunately handy. At one time the danger was so great that the windows in that part ,'of the warehouse the most removed from the fire were smashed open, and gangs of men were employed in removing the stock to a building in the vicinity. As soon aB it was perceived that the warehouse must be destroyed, a large body of men set to work to save as much as possible of the stock inside the building, and the street opposite was strewed with a quantity of furniture and miscellaneous goods. We believe a large quantity of furniture was thus saved, but still Mr Munro is a heavy loser, as we understand he was Uninsured. Meanwhile the fire burnt furiously, and soon enveloped tbe offices of Mr Kitson, and the shop of Mr Nelson, tailor, in a broad sheet of flame. From these buildings we are not aware if any goods were saved. The shops of Mr Knight, painter, and Mr Wood, saddler, were then caught, and speedily succumbed to the flames. At this point an attempt was made to arrest the fire, as between Mr Wood's and the next house, occnpied by Mr Seymour, watchmaker, there is a gap of about 20 feet, by pulling down the i shop occupied by Mr Wood, but all to no' purpose, as long, before the veranda jjpstß were cut

away, the fire had taken a firm hold of the building. A few goods were saved from these buildings, but we believe of comparatively small value, and Mr Wood is a considerable loser, although insured. One or two men employed in the upper storey of Mr Wood's in throwing goods into the street, had a somewhat narrow escape, as they remained in the burning building long after the roof and walls were on fire. The people below repeatedly shouted to them and warned them of their danger, but most likely the howliug of the wind prevented them hearing, and so they remained till forced to quit by the blinding smoke and flames. They left the building not a moment too soon, for. it fell directly afterwards. We are not aware whether Mr Knight was insured, but if not he must be a very heavy loser, as we think but little of his stock was saved. It was about the time that the flames were blown across the street and seized on the house occupied by Mr Weaver, tailor, at the same time continuing their devastating course on the side of the street it originally started from by extending to Mr Seymour's. Mr Weaver's shop, and the one adjoining, then empty, were speedily destroyed, and the fire then caught the premises of the Timaru butchering company, and from thence extended to the new offices of Mr Perry, which were likewise utterly consumed. From that block of buildings, from Mr Weaver's to Mr Perry's office, we are not aware what property v/as saved, neither do we know the value of insurances effected on each building. Mr Perry was fortunate enough to save all his deeds, but some were slightly charred. The shops of Messrs Todd, drapers, Mr Hutton, grocer, and the ship Hotel, on the same side of the street, but higher up, being on the north side of Beswick Btreet, and fronting the furniture warehouse, where the fire commenced, narrowly escaped destruction. The whole of the shop fronts were charred, and the glass broken by the intense heat. Most of the goods were taken from these premises, but a great many were destroyed by the hasty removal. ' All the time the fire was devouring the building on the east side of the main road, it had crossed the narrow space intervening between Mr Wood's and Mr Seymour's on the west side, and but few minutes elapsed when Mr Seymour's house was in flames. A large portion of Mr Seymour's stock in-trade was carried off the premise', and his loss is, we understand, comparatively small. As soon as Mr Seymour's house had caught, it was seen that at all events the whole of that block | of buildings was doomed, and in fact a very short time elapsed and the fire was raging with great fury from treymour'a at the one end to Mr Erskine's, the grocer, on the other. In this block were included the premises of Mr Salomon, draper, Mr French, seedsman, Mr Younghusband, bookseller, and Mr Jacobs, watchmaker. Every building fell one after the other like a pack of cards. We do not know the value of property saved from this block, but we believe it to be comparatively trifling to what was destroyed. Mr Seymour was uninsured, Messrs Salomon, French, and Younghusband were insured. Mr Salomon, though, is a very heavy loser, as only very lately he received a large quantity of new goods which were nearly all destroyed. We are not aware whether Messrs Jacobs and Erskine were insured or not. It was thought that here the fire would have stayed, as a gap of about seventy yards intervened between Mr Erskine's shop and Mr Watkins', the chemist, but the wind blowing hard down the street carried with it fragments of burning debris, and the lighter particles crossing Mr Watkins' shop fell on the Bank of New Zealand, a detached building standing at least \3O yards from Mr Erskine's shop, where the fire then was raging. At this time the Bhop of Mr Watkins, chemist, with the offices of Mr Williamson, architect, were still uninjured, and wet blankets were put up on the northern side to protect them. Even before tlie Bank of New Zealand had taken fire, the fine building of Clarkson and Turnbull, at the opposite corner, had been ignited by the flying fire. Then it was known that no power on earth could save that entire block. The occupants of the shops ahd offices at once commenced to bundle the contents of their buildings into the street, and to endeavour to save the most valuable things. But iv less time almost than it takes us to tell the story, the entire block was one sheet of flames. The Post and Telegraph offices were in flames before much could be saved, and the batteries of the Telegraph department were all lost, thus cutting off communication until others can be received from Christchurch. Adjoining the Post-office was the boot and shoe department of Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull, containing a very heavy stock, and the flames leapt into this shop in a second of time. They then spread to the other parts of the builling with equal rapidity until the whole of the corner premises were enveloped, and it was impossible longer to carry out things with safety. From all their departments in the corner shop, a two-story building, aad by far the finest in Timaru, we believe that only a little more than a thousand pounds worth of stock was saved. Some of the drapery was turned into the street, but the smoke from the block of buildings to the north, and the intense heat of the flames, were such as to drive back the most daring. The loss of Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull must be most serious as they had an enormous stock and were only partially insured. The Bank of New Zealand was at this time blazing on the roof, and Mrs Chisholm and her family had little time to escape, but Eome of the private property was rescued by daring volunteers. The attention of volunteers was also directed to saving the books and documents of value in the bank, and we are glad to learn that nothing of value in that respect was lost. The fire was making rapid headway" towards the top of the hill, to the south of tbe town; The. roofs of the buildings appeared.

to take fire simultaneously, as they. were all made of shingle, and rendered like matchwood *by the dry hor'-west wind. There was a small roadway between the stores of Clarkson and Turnbull and the next building, Mr Beldy's shop, but this was covered over by an upper span containing one store room. Mr Beldy's place was of course next devoured, and as far as we know, he saved nothing, and was uninsured. , Adjoinipg Mr Beldy's shop, on the south side, was, the chemist and druggist shop of Di* Butler,, who resided on the premises. A few -of , the most valuable and dangerous chemicals were taken out of the shop, but everything else was lost, including clothing and bedding, and Mrs Butler and family only escaped with their lives. Next to Dr Butler's was the ironmongery store of Messrs Clarkson and Turnbull, from which goods were being pitched into the street, but this lasted for only a moment, as ths flames drove men back, and most of the goods thrown out of the shop were burnt in the middle of the road, or on the opposite side of the street. We believe the stock was only insured to the extent of £300 or £400. Then came the Timaru Herald office, a comparatively new building, one portion of which was let off to Mr D. Salomon. A number of persons were here engaged in carrying out cases of type to an open space at the back, aud in taking down presses, &c. Others were employed in throwing out paper from the windows of the Hpper room. Before much was done in this way the men had the fire falling upon them through the roof, and were compelled to desist. The principal portion of the newspaper type was saved, but the whole of the jobbing type, frames, and other materials were destroyed. The paper thrown into the Btreet was burned before it could be carried away, and not a sheet of any description was saved, beyond a small quantity which had been partly printed in anticipation of the Wednesday's (to-day's) issue. The presses went through the fire, but as we write we are hopeful that one may be patched up so as to enable us to strike off a few impressipqs on Wednesday. The men worked braV6lyl tp fescue everything possible, but some or the,, materials taken into the back part of the office we¥e - r jnelted into a mass; and when we tell our read'ei&'t'batjbrass galleys were run into a lump with the' glass from the windows, they will realise something of the intense heat. Here a dog, belonging to Mr Belfield, was burnt to death, as it refused to leave the office as long as its owner remained, and not seeing its owner leave, iv .the end was buried in the flames. Both Mr Horton and Mr Belfield lost their coats, the latter with a watch in it, and the men in the office barely escaped from the building in time. The building and the printing material were both partially insured. The shop of Mr D. .-alomon, belonging to Messrs Horton and Belfield, was of course in flames as soon as the Herald Office, and Mr Salomon rescued little of his stock, which was, we believe, uninsured. Next in order came the shop of Messrs Inwood and Bilton, with only a space of about three feet intervening, as an entrance tb the printing office. Mr Bilton's shop took fire long before any other in the same block, indeed before the Bank of New Zealand. Eire was blown on to the roof from the other end of the town, where the fury of the flames was terrific, but it was fortunately discovered in time, and the fire stayed for the moment. This enabled Mr Bilton to get out his most valuable things, including pianos, bedding, &c, and in which he was assisted by willing volunteers. The goods were placed on the opposite side of the street, but here they caught fire and had to be further removed to the beach. Mr Bilton was insured on his stock, and we believe will not be a very heavy loser. The fire then rushed into the private residence of Mr Byrne (who is now absent from home) and swept it down to the ground in a very short time, but whether Mrs Byrne succeeded in saving anything we have not learned. We greatly fear, however, that little or nothing was saved. We must here break our narrative, to notiae the opposite side of the street, for long before the fire had reached the point to whi ill we have carried our readers, it had crossed the road and carried down the Club Hotel from which scarcely any thing atall was rescued. Fears were entertained that it would also lay hold of the stores and offices of Messrs G. G. Russell and Co., but that part of their premises most exposed was roofed with slate, and wet blankets were kept on the face of the building, and men were posted at various places to put out the fire driven thither by the wind, which for-. tunately saved the buildings. Captain Scott who resides on tbe eastern or sea side of the Club hotel, cleared out his furniture, but fortunately the house occupied by him escaped, as did also, we may say in a miraculous manner, the stables on the hill, immediately in rear of the Club hotel, belonging to Messrs Barton and Gardiner. We took our readers up to the point when the fire had destroyed the residence of Mr Byrne, but it did not rest there for a second. The butcher's shop, the next building travelling southwards, occupied by the Executors of the late J. King, about thirty or forty feet from Mr Byrne's house, although a plaster building, was gutted almost inBtantly. Then the flames carried down the adjoining building, a bakery and pastry-cook's, shop/occupied by Morgon and M'Caa, whe^ little was saved, and where there was no insurance. Another building still followed, the shop and house occupied by Mr Hitch, tinsmith, whb lost almost everything. But here the fire stayed. On the opposite side of the street a similar scene of awful destruction was being enacted. The house and shop occupied by Mr Mount ford, photographer, from its character,, fell a ready prey to flying fire, aud,.Bpo ( n. ( shewed ( Qply a chimney; ftanding. A. ' I .'ZAZ

Next to this building was a roadway leading to Melton's stables, and on the other side a fine new brick building belonging to Mr "Turnbull," which was divided into two shops, one occupied by Erazer Brothers, butchers, and the other by Mr Pogonowski, hairdresser. This building was generally believed to be saf e, but the fire devoured the woodwork in an instant of time, and soon the walls fell in. A small wooden building adjoining, of course did not escape. The fire also at the same amount took hold of Melton's stables, where little beyond the horses was saved. All the way along the same street, where the places were much more scattered, there was nothing to be seen but people hurriedly clearing their homes, ia' anticipation of tha scourge reaching them. But beyond the points we have named on either si.<|e of the main street it did not spread, and abbut six o'clock the worst was over. As far as we can ascertain, the following list will show the amount of liability incurred by different insurance companies, viz.:— Victoria £2,200 New Zealand 8,000 Imperial ... ... ... 4,000 London, & Liverpool Ss Globe 8,000 London and Lancashire ... 3,500 North British 2,500 Royal 2,000 Total ... £30,200 Such is the account, perhaps somewhat imperfect, of the greatest disaster that has ever visited our town — and such a frightful contingency as the scourge of fire visiting Timaru we have more than once pointed out and advised remedial measures to be, adopted such as providing ; an ; ample water supply. Our suggestions have unfortunately, however, always passed unheeded. There is no doubt that if the town bad possessed an engine of sufficient power to throw water say to the height of the Bank of New Zealand, and if a supply of water had been at hand, we should not have to deplore the loss of that building, or the block of buildings commencing at Clarkson and Turnbull's, for if it had been possible to have kept the roofs and walls of those buildings saturated with water, there was some chance of their being saved. A great quantity of property was left in the streets and the volunteers were called out and kept watch and ward over it during, the .flight, assisted, by a vlarge jjhody of special constables sworn in for the purpose. The fire was burdinghll flight,! and ''.gave a most weird-like appearance to the town, at times burning up with vivid brightness, and then again sinking and giving out volumes of black fetid smoke. Yesterday morning the, ruins in places were so hot that it was dangerous to walk over them. Danger was also apprehended from chimneys falling— one or two did fall by themselves, and a few were pulled down to prevent accidents. A public meeting was held on Monday evening, convened to devise measures for providing food and lodging for the sufferers by the fire. A number of special coustables were also sworn in to protect property during the night. On Tuesday, an enquiry into the origin of the fire took place, and after the evidence of Mr Monro and his workman had been heard, the jury arrived at tbe verdict that the fire wa» accidental ; but as a rider they expressed their opinion that greater care might have been exercised on the part of Mr Munro with regard to the stove in his workshop, where the Are originated. We understand that all the valuables were saved belonging to the Bank of New Zealand, and that arrangements have been made by which the business of the Bank will be carried on at Mr LeCren's . store. It may also be stated that the whole, of the .letters were saved at the Post-office.