A DISASTROUS FIRE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19177, 7 December 1927, Page 7

A DISASTROUS FIRE.

NINE SHOPS DESTROYED. BIG BLAZE AT CAMBRIDGE. [THE FBSSS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, December 6. Not since the destruction of the oW National Hotel, sixteen years ago, has such a disastrous fire occurred in Cambridge, as that which broke out a quarter of an hour before midnight last night in Duke street, the oldest portion of the business centre. The outbreak had a strong hold in two places when it was discovered, and the fire raged till two o'clock this morning, by which time it had swept through the block of buildings on the Duke street corner opposite the Post Office owned by Messrs E. Yeale and Co., and also the ironmongery premises owned by Mr C. F. Ruge. Veale's block housed several premises, those destroved being the Farmers' Trading Company's general store, Mr A. Murray's restaurant, Mr J. Kidd's saddlery, Mr A. Kaye's bakery, Mr E. Bycroft 's cycle-shop, Miss Connolly's boot shop, Mrs Brereton's jewellery shop, and Mr 0. Ruge's ironmongery shop. In addition, Mr Howe's fruit shop and Mr Nash's fish shop and restaurant were gutted. The night was calm when the Fire Brigade, under Captain 11. Vause, arrived and found the .Farmers' Trading Company's storeroom and Nash's restaurant further down the street well ablaze. The Brigade toiled valiantly, but the fire had too strong a hold and the firemen concentrated on preventing the lire from spreading to other old business premises on the east side of Nash's. In their efforts they were assisted by the brick wall of Ruge's premises on the east side, but they were hampered by an insufficient supply of hose to deal with such a serious outbreak. However, the water pressure was good, and the Brigade was able to save Mr D. J. Limdon's solicitor's office 011 the east side, and to provent the destruction of Mr Howe's shop and Mr Nash's restaurant.

At the height of the conflagration the lire presented an awesome spectacle, the flames leaping high in the sky and lighting up the whole town. Fully 1500 people, including a number from as far away as Hamilton, watched the Brigade's fight with the flames. When the lire swept through Mr liuge's premises the explosions of ammunition sounded like a battery of machine guns in action. The heat was terrific and it cracked all the plate-glass windows of the Farmers' Auctioneering Company's premises on the opposite sido of Duke street, and burned all the electric light and telegraph poles alongside the blazing buildings. In 1886 a similar serious fire swept the entire street on the same side, from the corner to where the "Independent" newspaper office now stands. The block owned by Messrs Veale and 00. was built 31 years ago. The whole corner block owned by E. Veale and Co., of Cambridge, was insured for £2500 in; the South British Insurance Company's office, but despite this cover the owners will be very heavy losers.

Dotails of other insurances are:— Mr C. F. Euge's premises, owned by the occupier, £6OO in the Northern Assurance Office; Farmers' Trading Co., about £IOOO on the stock in the South British Office; Mr Murray, £IOO on the stock and fittings in the Atlas Office; Mr Kaye's stock £IOO in the National Office; Mr Eailton Bycroft, £4OO on the stock and fittings in the Victoria Insurance Office; Miss Connolly £7OO on the stock and fittings in the State Office; Mr Eeuben Howe £SO on the stock; Mr J. Kidd £3OO in the Victoria Insurance Office; Daily's Trustee (MrD. J. Lundon's office) £250 on the building in the Eoyal Insurance Office; Mr H. Nash £SOO on the building and £l5O on the stock and fittings in the Eoyal Office. Mrs Brereton lost stock valued at £4OO. The amount of insurance is not available.

It was most fortunate that no wind was blowing at the time, otherwise the handsome new buildings of the Central Hotel and the Farmers' Auctioneering Co., on the opposite side of the street, would have been seriously endangered. The losses of the business people arc heavier than it was at first indicated as all were heavily stocked up in anticipation of the Christmas trade. Quantities of new goods had arrived only this week and did not carry insurance. The total damage, including buildings, stocks, and equipment, is estimated at £20,000. This morning all that remains of an important business block of nine shops is a mass of twisted iron and snioking ruins.

The need for protection agaipst fire loss is obvious. Consult the Mercantile and General Insurance Co., Ltd., Hereford street. —6