FIRE IN QUEEN-STREET.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 509, 28 August 1871, Page 2

FIRE IN QUEEN-STREET.

PARTIAL DESTRUCTION OP THE NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COMPANY'S BUILDING-.

We had almost begun 'to hope that the winter would pass over without our having to chroniole any more disastrous fires taking place in our midst, for since the destruction of a large number of houses in Pitt-street a considerable interval has elapsed ; but we regret that such hopes have been premature, for on Sunday morning a .very serious conflagration broke out in Queen-street, the scene of the fire being the magnificent building lately erected by the New Zealand Insurance Company at a very fjreat expense. This building must be ■well known to everyone in town, as it forms one of the niost conspicuous and striking objects in [Queen-street, and is the seat of business ■of a very largo number of business people, ■who have offices on the premises, while hundreds of persons dabbling in shares daily transact their business in the central hall. The lower portion of the building is let off into offices, mostly occupied by BbarebroUors ; in tho upper portion are likewise a number of offices occupied by sharebrokers—by the official liquidator, by Mr. John Sheehan, the solicitor, by Captain Clayton, and others. The lower front of the building is occupied by the Insurance Company on one side, and the Gas Company on the other. None of this portion of the building has been materially injured, the lire having been almost exclusively confined to the -Exchango news-room, at the extreme back—to the restaurant, -which was to bo above—and to the floor above that again, which -was set apart for a hall for meetings, &c. The whole of this back part - of the building was lately leased by Mr. Cyrus Haley. The lower floor was fitted up as a news-room, and partially occupied by offices. The first floor was intended for a dining-room, and was fitted up at great expense, and on a very large and handsome scale. This was to have been: opened on Tuesday next (tomorrow), under the management of Mr. Riordan, but it has now been totally destroyed. It was only on Saturday afternoon that we paid a visit of inspection to this room, which then presented a very handsome appearance— the long table in the centre of the room, and the tables at the sides, being laid out with everything necessary for the accommodation of 200 or 300 people ; ana the 6ntire room presented really a most handsome and elegant coup d'osil. Mr. Haley had gone to a very large expense in the matter, and had not this untimely fire occurred the dining-room would have been one of the largest and most completo in the colonies. As mentioned before, the floor above this was set apart for meetings, ' &c., and immediately at the rear of the platform was the kitchen belonging to the restaurant, garnished with everything necessary for commencing operations on a very large scale. Ihe fires in tho cooking range had not been lighted up on Saturday, but they were to have been made up to-day, in preparation for to-morrow. The fire consequently could not have commenced in this portion of the premises. Having thus given our roaders some idea of the interior of the building, we will now proceed to detail the facts connected with tho fire of Sunday morning. About ten minutes to three o'clocK Constable Wadman was passing near to the Fire Insurance building when ho smelt a burning smell, and looking up into tho air saw a cloud, of smoke arising from iho upper portion of the building, ilo at once passed over the road and rang the bell which communicates with the watchman's room, and on that person putting his head from an upper window, ho shouted out to him that tho building was on fire, and told him to come down and open tho front gate. The man, however, understood him to say that a fire was raging somewhere else, and immediately commenced to give the alarm, upon tho bell in the clock tower. There was thus somo little deluy, but Wadham again pulled at the bell, and in a few minutes the watchman came down and opened the front gates. In the meantime Wadniau had been joined by Constable Brerinan, and through the gates Hie two could sec a flickes1 uf lights at tho end of the ball, as though the firo were burniug in the Exchange Neivs Room. The first thing Bronnan did was to go round to the back of the premises, and makts an examination of the oven& and windows, all of which ho found were fastened, and with no appearance of having been broken into. An attempt was then mide to get into tho new«-room, but Mr. Haley, the proprietor, having taken the key 3 away with him, there was considerable dilliculty and delay before this could be effected. In the meantime, the fire-bell had been forth the alarm, which was taken up by the other fire-bells, and in a very few minutes Superintendent Asher and a number of the firemen and Inspector Broham and a number of the police had arriv.ee! upon the spot. Large numbers of people very soon began to assemble, and a dense smoke enveloped this part of Queen-street. The engine was got to work as rapidly as possible, but here ugain another delay took place, for on affixing the hone to the water-pipes from the Domain, it was found that tho water had been cut off. In the meantime the firo was increasing, and on the Exchange doors being burst open, the staircase on tbc right-hand side was seen to be on fire, and a portion of ;the ceiling on the same side was burning fiercely. A crowd of people at once swarmed into the building, eager to be of service, and in a very short time the news-room ■ was cleared of chairs, seats, tables, stands, and indeed everything that the people could lay their hands on without being burnt. Even the bar counter on the left-hand side was dragged out and pitched into the road. Of course all this time the forcje of the firo was increasing, and the flames in the first floor appeared to have full possession of the long room, from the windows of which, at the back, masses of flame leaped forth, while tho smoke rolled in clouds up Shortland-street, the wind' blowing strongly from the west. After some further delay tho kose fromMessrs. Thornton, Smith, and Firth's mill was attached to that of the brigade, and a good supply of water obtained" from the same establishment, and poured into the building back and front. By half-past three there was an immense crowd assembled both in Queen-street and in the rear of tho building, and the flames were leaping madly through the roof, throwing a lurid glare over the entire town. At one time it was feared that the whole of the building must go, for the wind, as mentioned before, was blowing strongly from the westward. Strenuous efforts were made to at least savo the contents of the different offices, tho doors of which were smashed o; eu, and the furniture, pjpei'S, safes, &c, tumbled down si airs and out into the road without; ceremony. One of the safes, in its descent, came foul of tho hose inside the hall, and burst it, thus causing ;>nother slight delay. In a very short, lime every office in the pluco v,-a? cleared, and the road in front ot' the building wns literally piled up with furniture, fittings, &c. In clearing the Bhai'ebrokers' offices the people seemed to take an espcoial delight, and scrip of all kinds was thrown about with tho most utter recklessness. " Caledonians" wore washed away by tho water, and " Thames" lay neglected in the gutter; while iron safes and cash-boxes were strewn about in all directions. A8 may be imagined, it was pretty hot

work. The flames leaping out of the front windows of the Exchange rooms, immediately above the gallery of the hall, caused the glass roof to crack iv all directions, so that portions of it fell down with a crash on to the floor, to the infinite flangur of those below. But the firemen maintained their places manfully, and fought with the flames for mastery, pouring upon them the fullest supply of water they could obtain. Prom the roof sparks and pieces of burning wood flew away in myriads, and several of the adjoining buildings had very narrow escapes. In West Queen-street the people cleared their houses of furniture in a very short time, fearful of the proximity of the fire, and had not great exertions been made with wet blankets, &c, thrown over the skylight of Lewis Brothers' store, that building must inevitably, have caught. Tho sparks and pieces of burning wood foil in countless numbers upon the roofs of the adjoining houses, but fortunately the heavy rains which had descended 'during ■ the night prevonlod them from taking effect. The wind lulled slightly about half-past 3 o'clock, when the firemen redoubled their efforts, and the flumes begnh visibly to^abate, and were confined entirely to the end of .tho building. By four o'clock they were, quite got under, although water was continued to be poured on to this end of the building until daylight, before which time, however, the crowd had dispersed. Mr. Asher and his men are cortainly deserving of all praise for the manner in which they kept the flumes down ; and Mr. Broham and the police also deserve commendation for the good service they did upon tho occasion. The public too worked vory hard in saving furniture, and although it would be invidious to mention names, we niay say that we saw many of our leading citizens, with their coats off, working away like horses. The damage done is as follows : —The Exchange news-room gutted ; the first and second floor utterly clestro; ed ; the glass roof of tho centre hall broken and cracked in many places, and tho doors of most of the offices smashed in. The New Zealand Insurance Office, however, was not touched, as somo of the directors were present, and saw that the fire w:is not likely to reach this part of the building. But with this exception every office is injured more or less. A. good deal of the furniture was saved from the Exchange Rooms, and all from the offices, although, of course, injured more or less. Mr. Haley was insured in tlie Koyal for £1000, and the Insurance building itself was insured a short time ago in the Victoria Office, for £5000. Tho loss will be a very severe' one to Mr. Haley, who was just making a start,, but with the most material success ; and although it is possible that the amount of insurance may cover his actual loss, it will certainly not compensate him for his brilliant prospeots, which are thus at one blow utterly destroyed. We have .not been able to learn the origin of the fire, but it is said to have been first seen on the staircase of the news-room leading to tho floor above. In the news-room itself there were two fire-places, but these appear to have burned themselves out at the time tho room was closed at ten o'clock on Saturday. The end wall of the building seems to have been cracked a good deal, but until a survey has been made it will be impossible to tell the actual amount of damage done, but it must be very great—certainly not less than between £2000 and £3000 altogether. An inquiry will no doubt ha held as to the origin of the fire.