THE BIG FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 589, 18 August 1909, Page 6

THE BIG FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

"/■■ ,: :;-.;.'"" • y'GRAPHIC.'-DESCRiPTIdiir" "'■''.' ■ "■'■• SOME SENSATIONAL INCIDENTB. '< /;';,;:,; DAMAGE .AND, INSURANCE..■, ■,-.. (By Telterapb.—Special Correecmndonii ! Y : <",/ ; ;'.■ : ■ ' /' Auckland, August 17. .-:. ' .Last night's conflagration'was the greatest ■■■' ::■ fifevspectacle witnessed.in Auckland for many ■/■ years, and the»glare was , seen from , 'he : Waikato.in the south and beyond Henderson ; in ;the :nbrth,; while; to settlers, on the Great /Barrier, at Coromandel, the various Gulf islands, and along the Waiwera. , coast, :l .'/.' seemed as if the whole city was on fire. Seen • from North Shore tho blaze was a terrifying , and'magnificent sight, a perfect hurricane of ,"'■'■- flame' mounting ..skyward , and reflecting :a • ; red, glow, on'the. waters of the harbour. The ;:. oontinnai rain of sparks was a fine, sight. ;'■■; These'.spaTka;'.diifted' over':'lower' Graf ton ;.,'..'and into ■Parnell,-and it wias thought "_ they ' : would start at least half a dozen other fires, ii.; but the'little outbreaks that did occur were <■ quickly, extinguished.' : ; ' ~■': '.' ■.;;'.-.';-- Raplil Progress of the Fire. ..'. : ; : : '-1L notable /feature was the extraordinary', ; rapidity _with.whict the flames . cut rheir. /way ihrbugli'.tfa.e ehtirp length of the building. the first appearance-of firo above the V. roof.;it'seemed only a few. minutes till ■ the '.. whole area was a mass, of flairie, and sheets '.'"■■•cf iron-/were, being .tossed lip like, pieces of /. cardbbaTd. : ;Por about an hour and a/quarter ;.■".t^teJe,, was absolutely no cessation in, the ;''•.; fierceness.- of tie ■flames'... IVom time to time v .'an','explosibn.of gas;took place in , one ar ;/. another, portioli of tie building, resulting in .■. a;, .greater .voKrme • of.flame and '• a ydcauic <:' eruption..of .sparks, and;,cinders./. Later, at- ; intervals,' these displays were outrivalled , by ; ' those, 'oansed- by .falling 'floors; heralded by, ;■•■;,':loud;' tearing roars,; and'- followed by' crashes 1 /.that shook the ground in the vicinity. Sometimes heavy objects, evidently iron safes and '. the like, would : go'hurling from the top - '\stroyt6 the'basement/.crashing through' one

and 'another,' and'landing' with a thud 'upon the basement floor. In their' train .;, thesei.falling'masses lifted "tp a myriad of ■ eparks-, and 'tongues; of; flame that leaped together and formed iriumohant masses of .fire. 'v ■■'■ "■•'' '■'■ ' '■. •-' - : ■',■■■■.■■-■ '' ■ ;;, ■ ; PerHous Work.; >-'■-. V.TKe peril of tho firemen was never-ceasing. . •' (Jnite,-early:-,the;-front i.wall of ..tho .buildjug ;; aistrpngUistj '4nd'fears,wore enter-, . tained;,that ;it':w6uld.''tbppl6'' over .and. bury, the-.devoted-.workers^belpw.'. Four :: br . ; times>:.warningscriesvarose , from' scbies . if' .-.; twice,the-nremen ware ordered'* to '.'smelter 'and promptly .'ran back, from beneath.the threatening wall.' A.great ©hbut rent the air as a side wall overtopping .: the -TEistle. Hotel, was, seen to sway.y. There' ..was an!;intervening space of great excitement as ' tie crowd in Darby Street souftled to . pafety-up and down the by-way. .Then came adeafenmg crash' as a hundred tons of brickwork broke away and smashed down "on to the , ■. roof. : ,of; : tb."evhostelry.;.';-,'Vyith;such-great force' did^tbe":,piass tf ..the'i'inaterialp^'iigtrated*;.to!:the;_ very'-baseniont.:--.ln ■ this. ' occurrence: : onemaii was, badly two ;. firemen .baa;.narro.w escapes/ ;-So''great was. "'■ ; the'iliavobl'.wro.lig'ht^^iby.'-'lhe'ialiing-imasonry '< that : .'the fiotel, appeared to have been : 'gutted "" • ' '■■'"'•■■.•, ■'■'' , •■ "'•■>■ ■ '.'■: i'■','■ ;.: : .' - :.'-,-A- Very Narrow Escape. ''■'• '■■' ' '•■■/'■ .-' -''"-'ln' the arcade:itself, howeyeiy the.rfiremen ■'entered ;at .-'the peril of their- lives ' A ' as' they soon^.discovered;; V A'number of them were, : WOTking.gallantly -with/ three leads^opposite i the scene of the original ioutbreak, when,an immense mass v 6f debris -■ came'downialmost^^Vqn^-tpp^of.'th'em.i-Fortu- . .jjajelyi' npno'., of them hurt;-; though .had a v^ry-iiarrowvescape. ■• deemed ..advisable. to. s ;)vithdraw ■' the:.;men','and,the'■attack-was'-cpntinned from- ■\ the^Q(ieen-:Stfeet;face;?^ ; ;';S* :;' ■," _

; 'ij^KS^'A.; : Serious : (By Teleeriph—Press Asaociatlon.) ; '.':' '- : \ ■■-■'■■::■■: :■• .Auckland, August; .17."' - ■vTOiile a" gang of workmen was at work in; Arcade this after--Boon a serious accident • happened through: a wall falling/ '.The. inen were busy trying to get a safe out from amongst, the debris on the ground i'flppr' 'foriihe* British, and Con- , tinental ; Piano \Cb.•/-. They? had located the object; and' were'getting ready to remove it found;,necessary to play a hose oil v ':, ..Without; the waining .the .wall ; cam6 down, a, perfect shower of .bricks;falling ;on the men.■ .Tkree-ofthem went.down,as'if.shotj and were carried--stunned, and' bleeding' : across- Mie street into a chemist's shop. ' There•were attended to by a." medical and on Jiis recommendation wore sent*, off -. to tho public: hospital. ;The worstinjured of, tho triojwas a young man named, Neil Ho well, who'resides .in "Wellington- Street. ■■ Hβ nad a: frightful: gash on the top of- tie head and' a: bad'concussion, besides .internal, injurtes, and his, condition is. critical., John Brown (of Albert Street) was also much cut about tlie head, and -was- bleeding profusely, ■ and thq, •third■• man, Chas.-; . Lapwood, of ' Symonds also .'much, cut , about'the liead, face,.':and ."•ja'rms. > They' were conveyed by ambulance, to.the.hospital. •' .■■'■'. '.-, ■ •'• A; Seen In the Burning Building. are current that a woman was' seen-in one of tho windows of,'the top story .of ■.;: the -.Strand Arcade soon .after, the % cut-, break,., and .after, thp; retreat: had been ■ out off by; way : pf\'the man claies be , distinctly saw.- a woman .dressed in "white , '*frantically : rushing : ■ about ; arid making.aai- effort", to. unfasten, the window,aiid crying put-for help. -If that, be so she must'have.-perished. in , the flames! .So far, liowevei , ) no. :one is'reported missing. '~ . 'X;'■: ■.'-■:-'' ■■ , Insurances.; '.'•. '. - . :.The 'list: of. insurances show . that ""osses are: spread, -over a; large number- of offices,ond'that no' Offices are heavy losers, 'hose that'had taken: large lines having reinsured down.: to .comparatively small amounts. , New : : Zealand 'Office,..whose total insurances amounted ..to £7850, had.thia amount reinsured' dow!i;:to,£l6oo.. Of ,the; other. New. Zealand offices,'the National had risks : .ampunting to £600, tho-South British one, policy of'£2oo, ■andithe Standard one of £100 '. The offices holding; the .largest, risks ..•■ in. , the. .building hold-reinsurances. ...The total insurances on the building destroyed and the contents is about- £30,000.;•' The appended, list includes" the'risks in ! ad joining ; buildings (only slightly damaged), and. these are not included in the • total'■:given, above. In addition to. the' policies. ; in'. (he. Royal Exohange, there we sonie .insurances, with the head office of that company, in..-Wellington. The list .is as ■nhder:— ■".. : - '•'• ■■:.. :'■:.- - ■ ' '

Arthur. M. • Myers ' -(owner of the' Stran d 'Arcade): On ■ building—£sooo in the* New''.Zealand,' £3500.in the Atlas,' £3000 in the .Alliance,- £1000- in the Guardiai), £1000 in . the Northern, £600 in' the. Australian 'Alliance j'-'total,.' £14,000.' Rent, £2000 in tho '■Ifcw' Zealand; stored .furniture, £200 in the New Zealand. '-.'■. .-. -i ■ Campbell Ehrenfried Co.—£soo in the Royal Exchange,-pn. the office fittings, etc. .British - and. Continental Piano Co.—On stock, £1500,' in tho United,. £1250 in the Sun,-and £500 in the Victoria; total, £3250. Piccadilly Tea Rooms.— the New Zealand. '. ■ ■■.■'■..-• . ' ■ ■ ; .Miss Wangh, in the London, ; Liverpool, and Globe., '. " : Skeltoni Co., Elliott Street; roof slightly damaged.—£3oo in the Royal. ■-Albert Brewery.—£l9,ooo on the building, and contents (slightly damaged), in the New Zealand (this amount is considerable' reinsured), £2500 in the London, Liverpool, and ■ Globe.' •' ■ •'; :i •"■'..■'" Strand Book Arcade. —£700 in the Ocean. ' Mrs. Binris," ladies''hairdresser.—£lso in the Ocean. : ' ■ •"■ ~"" : H. ■Prior, Strand Cafe—£3so in the-Nor-wifib Union.':; . '■■ . . ' ■■'.= .. : -~- '•■".. ' 8..A. Blakey, rndent agoirt.T-£250 in the Royal Exchange. .•,'■■■ .■■:■■■■• : T. Mitchell, manufacturers' agent.—£so in the:'Eoyal Exchange. -■■■'■' "!•'■■• -.:■'. ■ D.• Palmer.'voutfitter.—dßßoo : in 'the Northern and £500 in tie : Coimneroial Union ■ ■ • :

Leonard and Harrison, indent agents:— £750 ,in the, London, Liverpool, and Globo and £400 in the North British.

'J. Lethaby, ■umbrella manufacturer. —£100 iin the Standard. " G. Robinson, tailor.—£lso in the New ■ - ■' - ■ ' ■ G. Gregory.—£2oo in the South British. : E..Crouch, indent agent.—£lso in the Royal.' ' . P. B. Hume, hairdresser.—£loo in the Royal. '• ■ • '■ •'•■• . ,; ■ • Liddle. and Co.—£6oo in the Royal. P. ,M. Dewar, medical specialist.—£4oo in the National. ;■••••■■■• _ H.'L. Henrickson, watchmaker.—£looo in the National. . .-' . ■ B. 0. Chilwell,- architect.—£loo in the National.' . P. Darby, ownor of the Thistle Hotel (partly damaged).—£4ooo in the Commercial Union.: . • ' • '••" . R. Noton, licensee of the Thistlo Hotel.— £1250 and £500 on the furniture in the North British. , .'. M. Delaney, licensee of the Albert Hotel.— £1500 on the furniture and £500 on the stock divided between the Sun and Alliance. W: Darby and, Co., warehousemen, undamaged.—£3ooo in the Royal. Mowron Brothers (T. Mitchell, agent).— £1687 in the Norwich Union. . Walter Darby's stock was saved .by iron shutters. Some of it was injured removal. Messrs.. Prior (Strand Cafe) estimate their loss at £650 above insurance. The licensee of tho Albert Hotel (Mr. P. J. Dolaney) estimates the damage to his premises at £1200. '■'■ " v ,■ . ..■•'. . The Damage, .. As far as could be ascertained to-day from careful' , investigation,--'the total amount" of damage by last night's fire-will, probably prove to be in'the neighborhood, of £60,000. The.chief /damage done, of course, was to tlie Strand Arcade itself. This may be put down at about £30,000. 'The other principal losses were:—British and Continental Piano < Company, £4000 or £5000; Thomas Mitchell (agent for Messrs. Bowen Brothers, Christchurch), £4500; Leonard and Harrison, £2500; Strand Cafe, £1000; Albert Hotel, £1000; .Thistle Hotel, £1500; Crouch, £1000,• D. Palmer, £2500. ■• -. • ' ■■■'•