DISASTROUS FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 4034, 31 January 1876, Page 3

DISASTROUS FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

LOSS, LU,OOO. FULL PARTICULARS. . Chbistchdbch, January 31. At 1.15 on Sunday momihg a constable on duty in Hereford street observed smoke issuing from the rear of Almao’s, the hatter’s shop in the Triangle, close to Oram’s Citv Hotel. He gave the alarm of fire to the Brigade, who muste ed promptly, but owing to the inflammablejnature of the stock and the building the fire got a firm hold of three shops before the engines began to play, and many had to escape in their night clothes. Most of the commercial travellers’ cases were saved. One member of the Fire Police at the last moment earned out a r case of jewellery, valued at' LSOO, belonging to a traveller for Messrs P. Hayman and Co., Dunedin. Nothing was saved from Almao’s shop, or from Frith’s, the carver and gilder on one side and from Rossiter, the watchmaker’s, on the other side. A good portion of the stock was saved from the other shops. A safe, which was fortunately on wheels, ana part of the furniture were , saved from the City Hotel The of ithe Fire Brigade worked magnificently, frequently incurring great personal risk, and fighting the fames inch by inch. After an hour of hard work one of the steam engines had to stop from want of water, and the other steamer had to be worked at half speed. Fortunately the Brigade were then just getting the tire under control. Had the wind, which was light, increased, it would have been almost impossible to say what the total damage might have been. Five shops were destroys, one gutted, and several injured. The City Hotel was almost entirely destroyed. The following are the particulars of the losses and insurances as far as they are obtainable at present:— BnddenMan. owner of the City Hotel, loss, L 2,500, insured for LBOO in the New Zealand, for LSOO in the London and Liverpool and Globe, and for L3OO in the National.

Oram, licensee of the City Hotel, loses L 2,000 to' L 3,000, insured for L 1,700 in the Victoria, National, South British, and Standard. Mrs Haines, shop destroyed, value L3OO, insured for L 250 in the Victoria. Clark, bootmaker, occupier of Mrs Haines's shop —Value of stock saved, L3OO, Insurance! for LISO m the Victoria, and for Ll5O in the Standard. Bossiter, watchmaker—Stock totally destroyed: valued at L4OO, uninsured Almao, hatter—Stock valued whenthe last insurance was effected some months ago at LI,OOO to ; L 1,200. Insured for L 250 in the Standard, for L 250 in the South British, and forL2oo in the TransAtlantic.

Firth, carver and gilder, stock totally destroyed, valued at L 1,200, insured for L2OO in the Transatlantic.

Macfarlane, grocer, stock destroyed, valued at L 1,300, insured for LSOO in the South British. Woodard, shoemaker, stock all removed, insured for LIOO in the Transatlantic. The shops occupied by Almao, Firth, and Woodard, which belonged to Mr Dransfield were totally destroyed, and valued at about L 1,200 They were insured for LI,OOO in the Loudon. Liverl pool, and Globe.

Allchin’s Luncheon Booms, damage to shop and furniture, estimated at L 220. Insured for L2OO in the Norwich Union, and for LIOO injthe Standard. The origin of the fire is unknown. Almao asserts that he left everything safe at 11 o’clock on Saturday night.