SECOND A1 HOTEL WAS DESTROYED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17835, 1 May 1926, Page 23 (Supplement)

SECOND A 1 HOTEL WAS DESTROYED.

OLD PHOTOGRAPH CLINCHES THE POINT.

(By

R. E. Green.)

The photo of the second A 1 Hotel, together with my remarks which appeared in the "Star" of .April 17, have caused some interesting discussions, and some readers have approached me and claim that the hotel was not totall}- destroyed, and that it was only the top storey that was burned and had to be removed and a new roof put on. This is decidedly wrong. See-

ing that I helped to build that hotel, and was a member of the C.Y.F.B. at the time of its destruction, I think I am in a position to give some particulars of that fire which may be interesting, and with the accompanying photo of the ruins should definitely settle the question. Briefly these are some of the facts.

At about 2.15 a.m. on Wednesday, January 23. 1878, a fire broke out in Colombo Street near the A 1 hotel. It started in a small building jointly* occupied by John Julius Parker. a labour agent, and John Barritt, tobacconist and barber. To the right was the room occupied by Parker, and dn the left was Barritt’s, and a large room at the back of these was Barritt’s hair-dressing saloon and this was where the fire started. On the left of Barritt’s shop was Roberts, jeweller, and on the right of Parker was Scrimshaw, cabinet-maker. These were all old wooden buildings and . they were quickly a mass of flames. A small portion of Scrimshaw’s show stock was saved but all the rest in these shops went up in flames and smoke. The first engine to arrive was the "Dreadnaught" hand engine. It was placed at "Matheson’s agency tank.” Some will wonder where was Matheson’s agency tank.—lt was right opposite the White Hart Hotel. In later years it was called the White - Hart Tank, and now a huge obstruction to traffic is placed there. However, the "Dreadnaught." in remarkably quick time, had water on the fire and almost simultaneously the "Deluge” and the "Extinguisher” were placed at the underground tank in Tuani Street. This was a great mistake. The “Extinguisher” should have been placed at the tank in Cathedral Square, this tank was just opposite the Bank of New Zealand 1. but there were several

mistakes, and much confusion at' that fire, which was the. cause of it assuming such large proportions. This was the result of the temporary absence of Mr Superintendent Harris, who was at Wellington at the time of the outbreak. One of the rules of the Brigade at that time was that in the absence of the Superintendent the foreman in whose district the fire was should take sole charge. This fell to the lot of Foreman Burberry. He was a good fireman and a good foreman, but he allowed others to dictate and offer ad vice as to what should be done. It is said, "the multitude, of counsellors there is much wisdom." but experience has shown me. when it’s a question of how to handle a fire, that it leads to much confusion.. This was where the late Mr Harris excelled—he would not allow any one to dictate to him. I have often seen him push the Mayor and the Inspector of Police and others outside of the ropes when they had offered (as they thought) some good advice.

However, I have wandered from my subject. On the south of Scrimshaw’s was a large three-storey building known as the "Jersey House Clothing Factory.” (This was formerly the Mechanic's Hotel). This building escaped, although Scrimshaw's was burned right to the ground. The wind blew from the south-west and drove the fire to the brick wall of the new A 1 Hotel, and then it got through the third storey windows afid quickly crept through all the upper rooms and the flames were streaming through all the upper windows and the roof, and in an instant it was* terrible to behold. The flames were reaching half way across Cashel Street, and it was a serious matter for the buildings in the Triangle. Notwithstanding, it was picturesque and fascinating. It resembled a great torch, and will not be readily forgotten bv* those who were spectators. The water suupply was insufficient, and had little or no effect on such a large body of fire which was raging in great fury and extending easterly. It had a firm hold of the stables at the rear of Lane's butcher shop which was next to the A.l. on the Cashel Street side. At this point the firamen had a desperate fight to keep the .fire from extending east along Cashel Street, and here they came in for a tremendous amount of praise from the onlookers for the heroic stand they made. Here they ; stoo.d doggedly under the overlapping flames as they poured out of the third storey windows of the Al. The heat was terrible, and many faces and hands were scorched, but they manfully held their ground while slowly but surely the flames broke through the second storey windows.

just at this stage the water from the " Dreadnought ” gave out. The engine had emptied the tank. It had to be shifted and took up a stand at the side-channel, and here again the levers were worked vigorously by a willing crowd and a good body of water was again poured on to the fire amid great cheering from the spectators. The supply of water was kept up from what was poured on to the fire by the two steamers, which found its wa)' into the side-channel, but the time lost by shifting the engine gave the fire a start, and the Al was doomed to total de-’ struction.

The fire now had extended to the back of Beath’s, and for want of water Beath’s stock was virtually destroyed. Here the firemen had a very trying time, for the wind had freshened and carried with it huge flames and flakes of burning materials and dense showers <?f sparks. Matters looked very serious for a time, and to add to this, at 3.50 a.m. the water in the tank at Tuam Street gave out. and both the steamers

had to be shifted. This was a very serious matter. Not only was the water from the steamers stopped, but it also diminished the supply for the hand engine. The “Deluge” was taken to the river at Cashel Street, and the “Extinguisher" to the tank in the Scivtare. This great delay gave the fire an extended lease, and the heat became intense, but it was of short duramen. With the renewed supply of water vX 4 a.m. all danger of the fire spreadPrior to this, however, an immense quantity of goods had been removed from Pratt's, clothier, adjoining Death's, and a number of casks of spirits were removed from Sutherland s, grocer. During the progress of the fire one line of hose was taken over the roof of Beath's, and from here the men did good work, although it was anything but a pleasant situation. One man had a nasty fall, but was not very seriously injured, and while attacking the fire in Beath's room at the back the smoke was so dense that the firemen had to lie on the floor in order to breathe, and after three hours’ hazardous tvork at 5 a.m. the‘fire was virtually extinguished, although, of course, water had to be poured on the smouldering mass for some hours after.

Everybody was loud in their praise of the firemen and others who worked heroically through a long and trying time. There were some mistakes and errors of judgment made by those in authority, but not by the men, who worked like demons, though they were all volunteers and received not a penny for the services they rendered. The premises destroyed were those of Scrimshaw, cabinetmaker: Parker, labour agent; Barritt, barber; Roberts, jeweller; Al Hotel, Lane's stables, etc., and the whole of Beath's, save the front shop. Mr Pratt’s was only slightly damaged, but considerable damage was done to stock by removal and water and smoke. A Mr Hankins had a valuable dbg tied ifp at the back. The poor animai was burned to death. Its howling during the fire was pitiful and distressing: To give some idea of the value at stake the following were the insurances, but most of the property was only partly insured:— £ Beath’s insurance totalled .... 14,200 Lane's 100 Al Hotel 3,100 Roberts 400 Scrimshaw . 300 Pratt’s 1,500 To. my readers the foregoing is briefly a true account of the fire that destroyed the second Al Hotel just over forty-eight years ago.