DESTRUCTION OF THE GARDEN PALACE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4505, 2 October 1882, Page 4

DESTRUCTION OF THE GARDEN PALACE.

9Tha following additional parliculovs rogardinß thia moat diaaatrous fire wo glean from the Sydney Morning Herald. The ieauo of that paper for Sept. 23 sayß :— Kot cindera fell on a houso at t'oLta Point, and iguitod it, but the fire waa Boon extinguiahedj other fragm«nta wire carried to Euahcutter Bay and DarliDg Point ; two Bhoota of corrugated iron into tho grounds of tho Hon W. Macleay, Illizabeth Bay, and ahovrera of aahea fell upon tho houaoa in ■Woolloomooloo. After tho Homo tho firat tower to fall, perhaps becnusa it waa tho moat 6xposod to tho broeze, was thot at tho northwestern oornar. Boon the fljg-pole on the towor facing Macquario-Btreot feil ovor, then tho wooden upper portion collapsed, and fell within tho brick walia of tho tower. Tho ace-co would have beeu magnificent at night time, and even in tho light of day it vriia gri'.nd. Tho flames woro sometimes tempered carmine, gteen, yellow, or blue, by tho burning of tho galvanieod roafinjr, and the varioua molaliio Bubstunoea contained iv the buih-Sing, aud tha heat from tho conflagration Vfta so gre,B r - that at fivo minutes past 6 o'clock, er 25 minutes after the firat alarm •waa given, t\ir glass ia fcho winclowa o£ hou3es in Macquarie atreo!; bog.'iv to crack. At thia point Mio wind roared round for a fonr minutea, and tho occupants of No. 1, Kich-ananri-teir&co haatiiy piioked up and prepared to leavo the house, o', had tha wind continued to blow in that direction, the build-ng ■would oorfainly havo been destroyed. The terraces, end high balconied houses in MacqunTio atroot preacntod quite a carnival appesraaoe. In overy bulcor.y w«a a group ot people, aooio of the mombora clad in druasinggowne, otherj hurriedly robed in the coatuinca that oumo firat to hand. Evan upon j tho topa of tho hou9ea were spectators. Aloog j tho lino of footpath cluatorvd men, women, and children, all quiet and absorbed iv tbo sight ; and, aa the tlamoa tuok fuvcor hold upou the building, und tho hcuti incvoased, they hurried away with their hando shadiug their facea. When tho fire waa raging iv its greatest strength, tho aun wna aaon behind tha burning Palace througli tho hazo of Bmoke raiding above tho horizon ita orimaon diac. The ausno waa tho inort iaipoßiag, aa it \raa tho moat pitiful, ever he ti :n tho Colonice. Fira brigadea arrived from all quurtora of the oity, with ateam Groo:Ki>isoand manual engineawiuhreelaaadalUho equipment of their warfaro ; but they could only stand still and gaza bb utterly powerless beforo tho great clement opposed to them as children to keep back the tide of thoocoan. 'Xho breeze blowing tawavc'.3 that dirootion, it waa feared that tho Art Gallery might bo endangered, and a body of firemen accordingly woro Btationed in ita locality, but fortunately thoir aervicos wero not required. Ib is tj bo hoped thai tho eovero leßaon of yoaterday will bavo at least this good fruit, that our Colony's collection of pioturea will be placed in a substantial building, and no longer left to, at a.y mompnt, by tho nwnt trivial of accidents, aharo the fata of tho worlta of art in cur onco Gordon Palaco. Tho firo wna now in tbo fulr.o3B of its power ; wall* wera f;iliiog, to.vora toppling over aud tumbling hugo masses of ruin into tho great lustrous oca of ted-hot metal and burning woodwork beneath. JBy 9 o'clock all was ovor, the reaidence3 in Macquario atreot had their view of the harbour rcßtorod to them, and tho protty Garden jPalaco. whose gray-tinted dome could bo Boen lifted above tho pine and fig treea —ft boacon light to thoae " iucoming to our Bhores," tho firat object of beauty in the city ao the He^ds waa passed — wna a mar a of amoking ticabora and falling wulla. The fire was a splendid spectacle from tho harbour, and tho cflicora on board H.M. ehipH now in harbour despatched detachmenta of " blue- jackets " to render what assistance they could. Amon^r othon who lent willing aid to prerout tbe treea and graaa of the surrounding gnrdena boing doatroyed, wna the paymuatar of the Espicgle, •who in full evening coatnmo hoI, himself right hoartily to beat out firo with a branch of a tr^e. A dotaehment of police woro ordered by tho Inspcctor-Goncral of Police, Mr Foabory, to surround the amouldoring ruiri9. A dotuchment of tho Permanent Artillery ■waa also prcaeot. An immenao crowd gathered in Macquarie street aud in tho Domain during tho progre*a of the fire, but good order wbb kept, and no oubo of accident baa boen roportod. Thero was at oro timo aome danger of the firo extending to tho Governor's etablea, but tbo Volunteer firemen, obtaining a aupply of water from tho pond in the vicinity, kept tho flamoa off. Tho heat, howovor, woa bo intonao that the horaea had to bo removed, and tha carriages woro alao taken to a place of aauty. Tho offecta of the terrible coulUgratton on tho plants and ahrubp, whioh proved auch an ornament to tho enclosure, ii likely to provo very aeriout), and it iaosiiniuted by *<fr Mooro, tho Curator of tho Botanic Gardens, that about 20,000 or 30,000 plants aro nearly all destroyod, though it will bo impossible to arrive at anything definite upon tho aubjoot for a few dayi. On tho eoatern side of tho ruina the plots whioh woro ao tastefully laid out with choice plants presont n melancholy spectacle of withorod limbs ar.d dead leaves, whilo tho once verdai t »iid v/i-'.l mown l'iwua in tho vicinity furuiah an nlmoat unbroken arctv of burnt grasa. '\ho pitch pinea on itho weotern and north-western ?id«a oro •very muoh ohnrred about tlio trutilia. nnd tho majority of tiiom will probably die. Moib of tho trpf noir Macquario strniu aro i\l*o badly Jcorc' 1 I. Tho priti* whore llio earth hn-i cot boon »i.-- - oUj{hly bakad will, of courH-j, fl'ion Bpriin- iig'iin, but tho plyts, upon which so much caro nrul Mtl«rtion hua Iwn boitowed during tlio currcnoy of thsi Kxhibiiion and overainco, eoem to Id irreparably ruined, und it is quoatiouablo whothor it will

be worth while to maio any attempt at restoration, now that tha Garden Palace has disappeared. The eastern portion of the Exhibition grounds below the terrace has received little or no damage. 3ho lawn caught fire in aoino places ; and the posts nbovo the terrace have been badly scorched, but beyond this no injury to speak of has been sustained. Ono fact whioh oreated surprise was that the Bmall weatherboard structure in which the Juvenile Industrial Exhibition Commission havo lately beon holding their meatinga aufforod Boaraely any damage, bub this we understand was duo to the efforts of ono of tho Fire Brigadeß. The loss to tho Conininsion i?, however, very great, an during tha past fow days they have beou placing goods in the Garden Palace preparatory to the opening of the Juvenile Exhibition. Among the articles destroyed is a large quantity of choice fnrnituro imported by Captain Broomficld (one of the Commissioners) , who will be at a loss of about £500 ; and about £150 worth cf fittings belonging to the Commiosion have also become a prey to tho flamos. In consequence of tho destruction of tho Palaco, the Juvenile Industrial Exhibition must bo postponed. Mr Bannister, tho Secretary, was, however, actively engaged yesterday in making enquiries for the purpoje of ascertaining whothor a suitable buildinji could ba obtained. On applying at tho Town Hall in roforenco to tha old Exhibilion Building at Princo Alfred Park ho was informed "that, it had been leased by Messrs Klort and Co. for three months. Bubfoqusntly Mr Banniul-.tr interviewed tho firm named, who kindly promised to tivke the matter into their consideration, and endeavour to give up tho building to the Commission before the expiry of tbeir leaßO. Tho gilt obelisk on the eastern side of the Palace, and which proßants 6uoh a con?pisuous object, when viowed from tho harbour, remains intact, and it is somewhat remarkable how it eßoaped, seeing that tho base which iscom- ' posed of, coal and kerosene shale specimens must havo beea subjected to intense heat.