Great Fire at Napier.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 2007, 20 December 1886, Page 2

Great Fire at Napier.

MORE THAN TWENTY BUILDINGS IN RUINS.

DAMAGES ESTIMATED AT £60,000

Just upon 10 o’clock last Saturday morning the most destructive, fire that has ever been experienced in Napier broke out in the back yard of Banner and Liddle’s fine new warehouse m Tennyson street. In a very little time about two acres of ground was covered with ruins, and some of the finest buildings in Napier had disappeared. On both aides of Tennyson street (lie work is com]'!' ■ The ticoild and Doily Telegraph oui'.os are wiycks, while the Evening News oilicu, whiclr is on the right side of Emerson street, is badly charred, the front being destroyed,’ and the inside damaged severely by water] while the type met with rough treatment! The Herald managed to save a great quantity of its type, <Ssc., but their loss will amount to about £ISOO over the £4OOO they are insured lor, as they had a valuable lithographic plant in addition to the ordinary jobbing and newspaper ones.

The following is the list of buildings totally destroyed In Tennyson street—Offices of Mr Chamberlain, accountant and insurance ageot; Messrs Wilding’s offices, sawmillers at Waipukurau ; Algar, commission agent; Duncan’s auction mart ; offices of Messrs Dee, Baiosbury and Logan and Sheath, three legal firms ; Official Assignee’s office ; Masonic Hall, 00 which there is no insurance ; Banner and Liuu\'r’! , Warehouse, one of the finest buildings in town ■ er *l4 BPd Telegraph offices; Martin, tailor; Neal photographer ; while Dr Oato’e new residence is badly damaged by fire and water. In Emerson street—Garuham, painters; Levi, tailor; Dessonge, surveyor’s office ; jeweller ; Mrs Copp, nrllinery shop ; Nicholson, furniture shop ; Fusgards, fish shop ; Koadley’s auction mart, wool store, and skin store; while the following stocks are more or less damaged Emerson street—Ashworth’s boot shop ; White, fancy goods ; M’Gill and Campbell, drapers ; West, fruiterer ; Searle, milliuer; Evening News Office ; N. Williams, painter and oil stores ; National Insurance, and Messrs Kinross’ offices. The damage cannot be short of 140,000, £s( as the Union Office, for which J3»n»er

and Diddle were agents, is destroyed, very few particulars have been gleaned, though the insurances known are as follows South British £3IBO, New Zealand £2450, Colonial £IOBO, London and Lancashire £4OO. It is safe to say that no company has escaped, for the block was one of great value. Origin of the fire is wrapped in mystery. Mr Banner first saw it, and gave prompt alarm.