DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1912, 23 October 1906, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

MOST DISASTROUS FIRE IN WELLINGTON’S HISTORY.

ENORMOUS LOSS OF PROPERTY

(press association.) Wellington, Monday. A disastrous fire was discovered at tlic Wellington Auctioneering Company’s mart, near the Times office,' at 3.30 this morning.

It spread with great rapidity owing to a shortage of water through the main pipe breaking. The places destroyed are the Wellington Auction Mart, Miss Roache’s fruit shop, Pinnoek’s Trooadero, Dwyer’s Commercial Hotel, Job Corban's fancy goods’ shop, Thos. Shields, tailor, Whit-combe and Tombs, Bank of New South Wales (handsome new structure now burning), New Zealand Insurance Buildings, with several offices upstairs, Wellington Trust and Loan Office, A. T- Bate, commission agent, the Strand Cafe, Union Bank —all these are situated in Lamblon Quay, L. 11. Wilson’s, sharebroker. Alliance Assurance and Imperial Insurance Companies is going. Tripe’s new structure is partly damaged. These are all in Grey street. The fire then turned into Featherston street, destroying Focke’s, wine merchant. At 8 o’clock the fire was in hand.

(times special correspondent.)

8 a.m. The fire has been raging since 3.50 a.m. It originated in a small second-hand shop on Lambton Quay near tbo New Zealand Times. A strong wind was blowing from the north-west, and a spark getting under the eaves of the New Zealand Insurance building on the opposite side of the street, that building was soon doomed. The Trocadora, a large private hotel, caught next, then the Commercial Hotel adjoining. The lire in the Insurance Company’s building on the opposite side of the road rapidly spread to Beaden’s restaurant-, then to the Alliance Insurance Company’s buildings, Banks’ stationery shop, and the Union Bank of Australia, all of which are completely destroyed. The Trocadero and Commercial Hotels are also totally demolished, and the splendid new building of the Bank of New South Wales, erected at a cost of £40,000 only last year, is burning furiously, and there is absolutely no hope of saving it. The old Exchange building and the Post Office Savings Bank, adjoining the last-mentioned building, have caught fire several times, hut the incipient fires have been put out.

These buildings, and many others along Lambton Quay, arc still in imminent danger, and the flames may even spread to the splendid Grand Hotel buildings in Willis street. The fire, which is still raging, is the most disastrous in the history of ‘Wellington.

The unfortunate part of the whole business is that the main city mains at Ngahauranga burst ten minutes before the lire started, and for a long time there was practically no water.

It is pitiable to watch the brigade struggling valiantly with almost an impossible task of checking the fire.

10.5 a.m. The fire is still burning, but now appears to be under control in the Bank of New South Wales, so that the rest of Lambton Quay southward and "Willis Street are apparently safe. A great crowd are watching the conflagration from every vantage point. The tramway, electric light-, and telephone services are largely disorganised, and domestic water supply is cut off. Fire engines are still doing good work pumping from the sea through long lengths of hose on to the burning buildings. Practically nothing is saved from the destroyed buildings.

The loss will run into several hundred thousand pounds. Dr Findlay’s house, situated some distance from where the fire originated, had a very narrow escape His most valuable effects were shifted in his two motor cars, under the direction of Mrs Findlay (the doctor being absent hi Sydney) to a place of safety on Wellington Terrace. ‘ Had this house caught many others would have quickly been demolished. A large number of offices of private firms and persons in the main buildings mentioned have been destroyed.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. PRESS ASSOCIATION Wellington, yesterday. At eight o’clock the fire was in band. The fire had apparently been smoulderin i for some time before it was discovered. A strong northerly wind fanned the flames, and when the water gave ont it appeared as if the result would be even more disastrous than it is. Eventually two steam fire engines were got to work, and threw large volumes of > sea water into the burning buildings, bat for a time made little impressioo, After the destruction cf tbe two old tenements occupied by tbe Wellington Auctioneering Mart and Miss Roache, the fire swept through the brick edifice used as a privato hotel, known as the Trooadero, then on to a number of wooden buildings, including the Commercial herd. When these oaugbt the wind oarried the fiames across the stieet and on to the 1 triangle, bounded by Grey aud Featherstoa streets, and Lambton quay. The only building left intact is the new four Btorey brick building erected by Yuung and Tripe, solicitors. This building did not esoape altogether, but the damage is believed 10 be slight. Whitocmbe and Tombs’ fine printing and stationery emporium was the nest to follow those on the western side of the quay, and only the walla remain. Thenoe tbe fire worked into tbe magni« fiomi new building recently erected by the Bank of New South Wales, which was completely gutted. With tbe destruction of this building and the Union Bank premises opposite, tbe fire was well in hand, and taere was no dauger of it spreading further. Iu addition to the places mentioned in the former telegram, the premises o'f P. ■ Levi, optician, were destroyed. The ooonpants of the T.ooadero and Commercial hotels had to leave hurriedly, and some were fortunate enough to save most of their effects. So far as is known, there have been no aooidents of serious moment, though many narrow escapes. The fire was one of the largest that has eyer visited Wellington, and the loss will reach a considerable amount. The fire was prevented from spreading north by the brick premises of Batkin, tobncoonist. The fire was first discovered shortly after 3.30. It originated in an old diiapn dated one storey wooden building direotly opposite Grey street. The strnotnre fed tbe fiimcs like tinder, but as tbe walls of the Trooadero private hole! rose sheer against it, four storeys high, and Batkin’s tobacconist shop made a similarly high ' wall on the other side the odda were that the brigade would have a comparatively easy task. Water was turned on to three leads of hose, and by tbe time the firemen commenced to play them on the buildings the fiames were hissing and roaring in a fresh noi’ wester. Unfortunately, at this critic U juncture it was found that the maias from the Wai.nui o-mata reservoir had buret at Ngabauranea, five miles from the oity, 10 minutes before the fire was reported. The brigade was forced to fall bsck on the Karori supply, which is only an auxiliary to tbe principal source of supply at Wainu ! ,

Tbe brigade, however, worked valiantly against what wore almost insurmountable l difficulties.

The windows in tbe top storey of the' Trooadero hotel tumbled in, and the flames rushing up fiom below crawled up to the roof along the eaves, and thence to 1 the rear of the Commercial hotel, adv joining.

A large number of boarders from the Trooadero and Commercial hotels rushed into tbe street with whatever goods they oould lay their bauds on, 1

In less than an hour the small wooden’ buildiDg in which the fire started, the Trooadero, and Commercial hotels were baing radidly destroyed. It was pitiable to see tbe brigadesmen struggling with te few leads of water. Large masses c f Cinders wore flyjqg everywhere. nr,A 4 1. *

New Zealand Insuraroa Company's on storey wooden building across the stre forming the oorner of Grey street ar Lambton Q ray rcoeivcd tho fall farce i the delage. From hero the fire spread I the restaurant adjoining, and to tho Unit.: Bank, The brigade directed nearly all i! enorgy to the struoturos on the other sid of Lambton Quay. By 5.80 the buildings between Ba.kin’ tobacconist shop and the splondid uov building of the Bank of New South Wales a three storey structure, only in oooupa tioo about nine months, and erected last year at a oost of i£oo,ooo, were a tremendous ma*s of flames. Another fino building destroyed was that oooupied by Whitcoinbe and Tombs. It was attaoktd on tho roof, and it was pitiable to ste the devastating effects of the ffsmes. At 6 o’clock it was dear that tho wholo triangular blook, with tho single exception of J. Young’s and Tripe’s four-storey brick building, wbioh occupied tho corner of Grey and Feothotstou streets, was doomed. Tho Alliauoe Insurance Company's buildmg adjoining tho New Zoaland Insurance Company in Grey street, with - i stood tho fire for a couple of hours, and then gave up resistance like tho ethers It | was attacked on the roof, and burnt down wards through its two storeys- | Tho march of the flames wat irresistible, i After eating up the buildings fronting the eastern sido of the Quay, they orept round to tho rear and made an onslaught on Castondyk and Fooko’s three-storey wooden building, faoirg FeatheratOD street. All this time the c fibers cf tho Union Bank of Australia were hastily transferring tho bank s portable property and records net stored in tho strong room to a place of safety, tho building quickly succumbing to the fl imee. Both Woito .mboaud Tombs’ premises I and the Bank of New South Wales were destroyed with startling repidity. It was a little short iff a miracle that tho adjoining wo >d n budding known tithe Esobaogo, in which there arc a dozen or fifteen tenants, a i) the Post OtHoe Swings Bank, the New York Life A-surouce Company, and the South British Insur- I anoe Company, were saved, Several times these buildtogs lighted up on the roofs, but willing hands with buokets kept the flames under. I Several houses on the Wellington terraoe, just at the back of the tcaoe of the outbreak, also had a narrow esoepe, and it was only owing to tho exertions of tho residents that tho fi-e was prevented from extending its opsratiou3 in that dtreoiion, AS 8.80 o’clock tho fire had run its course, and was under control.

Roughly, tifto.n business premises were dtstroyei, and probably over ona hucdred different fiims und ccmpanies occupying cffiors in vaiions buildings destroyed ere Josera by the conflagration. IS is impossible to estimate accurately She total damage and loss of propuuy, but roughly it may be put down at LIOO 000. The total insnranoes are between seventy and eighty thousand pounds.

The estimated value of the buildings destroyed is LIOO,OQO, the obief values being the Bank of New S.uth W-Ds L4Q.000, Whiioombe and Tombs LSIQO, Trooadsro LBOOO, New Zaalmd laser .‘nee -L2OOO, Oommeroial Hotel L2OOO, aDd the others raDgo from L 750 so LIOOO, Holiday Bros, own the premises ia whioh the fire occurred and Miss Rosche’s. Mr Hamilton Gdmour own.d the Tioeadero and Commercial Hole', and Mr Lrwis Wbitoombe and Tombs’ property. Tae Bank of New South Wales and Union Bank owned their premises, and the latter owned the Strand Cafe (ccoopicd by F. Dakin). Mrs W. B, Rhodes owned the Wellington Trust, and Loan Company’s, j Oi M. Banks’ (stationer), and Bates’ premises, also those of Casteodyk and Fooke. The Alliance Assuranoa Company owned their premises and those ocoupied by Wilson.

All the buildings destroyed, with the exception of tho Bank of New South Wales, the Trocadsro, and Whitcombe and Tombs, were old wooden structures. The Central hotel, opposite the Bank of New South Wales, had a hole burned in the roof, and many incipient fires from sparks are reported. Several houses on the terrace overlooking the scene of the disaster narrowly escaped. The principal insurances are: Whitcombe and Tombs, contents in the Atlas £IOOO, Alliance £2OOO, Commercial Union £2500, Guardian Life Assurance £ISOO, Liverpool, London and Globe £BOOO, London and Lancashire £ISOO, New Zealand £ISOO, Northern Assurance £2OOO, North Queensland £IOOO, Phccnix £2500, Boyal £2500, South British £lcoo, Sun Fire £2ouo, United £SOO, Victoria £SOO ; on the building, Commercial Union £1(J00, Standard £IOOO, National £IOOO, North British and Mercantile £IOOO, total £28,000. Castendyke and Focke, building, Sun Fire £1200; stock, Phienix £IOOO, Liverpool, London and Globe £SOO, Victoria £650, South British £6OO, New Zealand £6OO, total £8650. Bank of New South Wales, building, furniture, etc., National £20,000. New Zealand In suranee Company’s building, Phienix JUxiO, New Zealand £5 -0, North British £soo, South British £SOO, Liverpool, London and Globe £SOO. Banks and Co., building, Commercial Union £2OO. A T. Bates’ premises, building, Sun £IOO. j Strand Cafe, building, Sun £2OO, Atlas Trocadero hotel, building, Atlas L 4500: furniture, Atlas L2OOO, Shields, stock L2OO in the National. There are numerous small insurances on- the Commercial hotel and Union Bank, not yet available.

LIST OF BUILDINGS DESTROYED.

PRESS ASSOCIATION Wellington, last night, The following is the fall list of destroyed premises : Hallensteia’s auotion mart Miss Roaoh’a fruit shop Pinnook’s Trooadero (private hotel) Dwyer’s Oommeroial Hotel Cohan’s fancy goods bsz tar Lsvi’s optioiao establishment Shields’ tailoring shop Whltoomba and Tombs’ printing establishment Baok of New South Wales Union Baok of Australia (hatendyk and Focke’s warehouse v Roger's Strand Cafe The Alliance lasurance buildings The Wellington Trust and Loan buildings.

The New Zealand losuranoe bnildiogs A. and T. Bates’ premises THE TENANTS.

The tenants of the buildings were as follows :

New Zealand losurauoe Company Pcnty and Blake, architects daggers, commission agent Alliance Insurance Company H. B. Wilson, sharebroker -J. Oreeves, Building Societies' secretary Wolf, commission agent 'O. M. Banks, agency office Union Batik extension Strand Cafe A. T. Bates J. M. Brown Wellington Trust ana Land Company Wellington Trust and Loan Cjmpany Henry Kember and Son, accountants S. Orchard, land agent Bank of New South Wales Criohton and McKay, architects Wellington Deposit, Mortgage and Building Association V United Fire Insurance Company Chase, Morris and Co., auctioneers ——James W. Jack, indent agent ' Wellington Building Society Wellington Opera House Company W. McLean Empire Loan and Dis.einnt Company Hamerton and Andrew and Webb solicitors Weldogton Rugby Union Eastbourne Borough Couuoil J. D. Avery, secretary and agent A. J. MoTavish and Co., land and oslate agents The Viari Company The Miramar Tramway Junclion Land Company

after the fire. Tj/,e Uoion Bunk of Australia and Bunk of ft aw Soufea Wales secured temporary iprcmises to-diy, and resumed business. Experts who made a< thorough an in■apeotion of the walls of tbo buildings of sbo Bauk Gf New South Wales as pog. J'' aihle stale that the .Htrnntum tiaa .ims f‘~

Tho strong ro: ms of both banks withstood tho attack of tho Hainan. Tho Alliance Assurance Company saved coariy all its books and papers. HEAVY LOSSES.

NVbitoombo and Tombs carried a stock valued at dffio.COO, and not a scrap was savod.

I Several tenants of the Hank of Now South Wales’ Cuambers 10-o little, except Mr Cbas. Morris, who had stored in she office a valui.blo private collection of 60 nil paioiings, for which ho stales ho wool i not tiiivs tok.rt X‘2UGO. Seven wero quite destroyed, >.ud tins morning tho balance in orates and casts was go: out. Of those saved a uutub. t were ui nd. Tim j pictures who insured for £doo in ftt Commorcml. , TLIE .DESTIiUCTION.

losurattcruson and others who i.in:uM I be to a positii ft c.i judg-i c t i'ui-S.-d ri:o valuo of the bii 'i-0.-: ancl pr.sp.-r y dist.'oypfi at iilOO Odo, •' o ga-i-s nuriei ■.f )n s u;aniiti> u t.-. iu Xio 000 to Td-UiO, 1 . Some at tho buildings i-c-eoyod worn o d wooden structure?, aud had more than served their usefulness.

Tbs Bauk.ei New South Wales, Whitcombo and Tomb;’ building, aod the Trooadero private hotel were all fino brick budding", which wore ornaments to the city.

A MYSTERY, So far nothing is known as to tbo origin of the fire.

LOSSES BY INSURANCE COMPANIES,

As far as eau be ascertained the approximate losses suataiued by the various Companies are

£ Alliance 5000 Atlas 1700 Australian Alliance 1000 Commercial Ujion 7000 ! Guardian ... 2SOO Liverpool, London Globe 8000 National 1500 Now Zealand 45'JQ North British and Mercantile ... 2500 North Queensland 2000 Northern 2000 N orwioh Union 2300 1' reaix ... 5250 Royal ... ... ... ... 3200 Royal Exchange 1700 South British 3700 Standard 3000 Uun.d 2300 V.ciuiia ... ... ... ... 3000 Yu kihire 600 Sun 4700 Total 68,250

STATE OFFICE ESCAPES. In the ease of the Union Bank building it is thought that the premises are covered to the extent of about L4OOO. The Royal Office had a line of L 650 on the fixtures, which were totally destroyed, and Che .Liverpool, London and Globe had L 4400 on the building. The Bank business is being conducted in the premises of the Citizens’ Life Office inLambton Quay. It is a remarkable thing in connection with the fire that the State Fire Depart--ment had nothing ao stake, though holding risks in the immediate vicinity.

A THRILLING SCENE. BROKEN WATER MAINS AND DISASTROUS RESULT. BRIGADE ALMOST HELPLESS,

..Special to .Gisborne Times.) Woihugion, mas nigos. Saortly aftsr halt p«s tines u.ui 1 was rousod by a prolonged tinging of my :elapbouo belt, and on going downstairs so answer sbe OJ.i I tOUud a friend ciugUig up to s*y tuat a Ba. luus lira bad br..ks<» out ou Lftinotoo Q my. L droasad iiui> ilodly, aud m a lew uj unit os w-w looking down on tau iice bum stia Ueiguss of VVai" ungtou Toccac-j. A B>r-j.'!g, gutty north* w

wind wsa oiu .-/mg, and airoady volumes oi staoke rtflroaug the red glare were rising above toe prmciptt! buildings and being swept uouthward aero33 the city towards Uuok Sirni Cc. Only a few citizens vvero astir, and moss of itiosa bore traces of a hurried toilet. Gloss by the New Zealand Times office, between Batkin's iobuouo shop and tno Trooadero private huiei, there was a small wooden building Used as a furniture shop. It was rented by the Wellington Auctioneering Oompany. Iu the same building Miss Bcueb Lpt a fruit Bhop, aud Mr Siuveley a aervanta’ registry office. A constable passing by at 8.25 a.m. noticed smoke ooming from under tbe door of the auction room. He at ouoe gave the alarm, and •he Wellington Fire Brigade, whioh is one of She smartest in the Siuthern Hemisphere, was quickly on the scene with its flue motor engine. Under ordinary circumstances the lire would have been thoroughly in hand in a few minutes, but Oboogb engines and ladders and hoses and huriying firemen were in evidence, one looked in vain for the powerful streams of water that as a rule quickly appear at a city fire. The water rose only a few feet from the nozzle, and gradually died down to a more trickle.

The news quickly spread that just before the lice, oral the same mcment, the Waiouiomata water mains, whioh convoy the city’s main supply, had burst at a point about three miles out. The city turncock, a notable figure on his grey boras, could be seen galloping about, shutting off various bye pipes from the Karori reservoir supply, in order that the latter might be concentrated in the region of the fire, The pressure from this supply, however, is never great, and it soon became apparent that wo would shortly be witnessing one of tho most disastrous conflagrations over experienced in Wellington. Tho fire had gained a good hold, and the soeDO from the Terrace as dawn was breaking was one to be long rememborod. On Lambton Quay a small group of spectators had gaihered. To windward ths progress of the flames could bo watched in safety. Across the street, at the corner of a

triangular block, was the New Z aland Xosuraaoe Company's building, and ii was tho irony of (ate that this building, an old wooden one, occupied by one of the leading insurance companies, should be the means oi further serious lots, A (ew sparks from the fire on the other side oi the streot iodged in tho straw of sum birds’ nests under tho caves, and ths

ap'Ctatora and the brigadi helplessly watched tho sparks fan into a flame and the flame into a goat blaze There was

no pressure c£ water to ieach tho tup storey, which was soon converted into » great farnaca tf roaring fi a ar.d ll ck smoke. MrC, A E van, the loorl m mager of the company, who was very early nil tbo ecsnr, in-ido tho pilgrim ig? into his room on the g ound floor, and raved u f„w p-rsonv! papi-rs, but it was no; a-. 1,, to make n seocn ( entry. Too lor y brig Hr ladder was run up, aid fi -rm a m Hinted is find poured downward tho available supply of w.at’r into tbo burning building. A< they stood almost -midst tbs flame and smoko on tb« w.nCw-u.i parap-. t cue sighs WftS ft thrilling one, hut it was sad to wit nes3 their heroic but unavailing effort?, The fi-e now bpgsn to leap streets and buildings. Having leapod across Lomblon Quay to the insurance company’s building, it now leaped over the Trocadero UaJiol nniha nfchnn airln rtf fthn altnoafc nn^

terrible misting well. Thoro is ono largo OH ok in the front, oar,sod by expansion, wb:oh oan bo attended to without serious trouble, and ibo other walls show no signs of very severe damage, So far as oan bo seen none of the walls will require to bo ontiroly demolished, though oemo rebuilding will bo ueoossary whore the heat of tho fire has buokled nud bout tho girders. Tho eoaoroto body of tho stairs is npparenily sound, and so, too, are the vaults where, however, tbero was at tho tirno in question souio six or eight inches of wator on tho floor. Tho lift aud Citings have quite gone. In plaoos bricks are partly burned right away, so tho boa must have been tremandoua. EXPENSIVE BIRD'S NEST

It is stated that tho beginning of tho tiro in tho Now Zealand Insurance Cumpane’s building was duo to a spatlc igniting a bind's mst in tho oarvod work at tho top of ono of thu pillars, Tho Company havo Ijsi nil its local records, owing to tho roof of tho strung room collapsing. STRONG BOOMS. I

hopoloss deficiency in tho wator prossuro, Too people in tho Troasdero had boon awakened by Constable Mahouy about tho same hour a; which Wilson’s dog gavo tho alarm in tho Commercial Hoiol, and they immrdiatniy got out with all their easily obtainable ttlhots. A.though in both establishments there was not .ho least uus--pioion of anything savouring of panic, tho

unppcolcd exit oi »o many people at such an bone n Rurally produced some arrange

ctr ots. From tho Oommcreial Hotel Mr a id Mrs D..-yor simply brought away a low p.uvo-iO! belonging'. BnlUo of tho burma’da and d.au. -t cs got out a canild. r.to'o p cs::m of ihcse eiloots, uni ma.t 1 1 the d .. v- r dr....tu'.t!v; that tho •• ■ k • •• ; o have - rich sotiotri .... .1 m-ght have b ron 1 1-r, aa.i i-v.. tu lily lost every- i

street, a: j ho hour presented a scene Stood knots of hastily dressed women wore hauling boxes, trunks, and bundles of drapery into safety. Oven after both hotels had caught lire several people wore making repeated trials, and bringing out their personal efforts. At last the journeys became so dangerous that the authorities had to interfere. One man was lim■•'bed out with scant ceremony. A v- man with black hair streaming over her shoulders, and unstockinged feet slippers, made trip after trip into Commercial hotel, adding something

each journey to the pile of portmanteaux and boxes that was growing bigger and bigger at the New Zealand Times corner. Finally she emerged from the dense smoke with a largo paper hat box jambod to overflowing with many tilings from her wardrobe and dressing table. She struggled to shut the hat-box, but she had

no string, and she laughed either good naturedly or hurriedly as she repeatedly failed in tier efforts to accomplish the impossible. Soon afterwards I met Mrl/.ett, a Com<

uittcc Clerk in the Parliamentary Builc

mgs. His eyebrows were almost singed off', and liis liair and moustache also had evidently been through the fire. It appeared that ho had returned to his room in the Commercial hotel to save a family heirloom that was in one of his boxes. He got the box to the stairs, but found the place hot, filling with llamc and smoke. He had to abandon the box, and beat a precitato retreat. He had a narrow escape.

In the early stage of the lire a mail clad in white pyjamas, a coat, and shoes and socks, seemed to be all over the place saving luggage He must have made about a dozen entries into the burning buildings. We watched him emerging from clouds of smoke until at last ho had to desist.

Mr L. H. B. Wdsoo, chairman of th° Stick Exchange, also sparsely clad, was busy saving papers from his otfisi in the osher block, which even at thai time seemsd doomed to destruction.

There was not the least panic evident anywhere, brigudesmen, boarders from the hotels, acid the mvoagirs and clerks of tha doom-id offii9a all going about their work in the ooolcst manuor possible. Io one of the byo streets I oama upon a company of young woman mounting guard over a pile of boxes and portmanteaux gathered together on the footpath, A. lady with a couple of oaaaries in little ooges sat on the top of the luggage heap, ani seemed as solicitous of their welfare as of her owo. From the fact that the baggage was markad in large letters "Vaudeville,” one came to the con-

elusion [has they wore members of Me Henry Rickards' theatrical cicnpany now performieg at the Wellington Opera HoUdP. Shortly after day’ijht I set up my em ri, and ssearei a cealistij photo of tbs fi-o when it w. i at its hs'gst. At tun Snj ;h .v :i; > ■>./ o >i?pi-i no nit, and mu r i oJ'i.r, cao J 3 only by tour ub .

To - a ..it was one n---vor ;o be forgo’tea. !h: ii in r: wa-j licking 09 tbo largo bmlaiug-t on bote side: of tbo strso*, and dan-,0 vatu.not of s tucks and ciud.-rs wore being driver.! .soutEiwarris over tho city by tho strong wind. Tho largo plate glass windows wore dhslii-sg down into the street. • The flames were hissing aad roaring, and from several of tho buildings shore 0.-1:113 explosions like bomba bursting, mingled wish noises Itko the spasmodic raffle of a Maxim gun, Tho triangular hiick aoras3 the atreet soon became a huge furnace. Tho Alliance lusura ice Company’s building, adjoining the N.Z, lomcanco Company in Grey street, withstood tbo fire for a couple of hours, and then gave up resistance. Like tbs others it was attacked in tho roof, and burned downwards through its two stories.

The march of the fl imas was irresistible, Alter sucking up the buildings fronting to the eastern side of the quay, they flaw round tho rear, and directed a bath of fire on Oastendyke and Fucke’a wooden buildiog, facing Featherston street.

All this time the offioers of the "Union Bank of Australia and the po'icc were hastily transferring tho bank’s portable property and reoords stored in the strongroom to a piaoe of safety. Some of the eicipeas from the Trooadero and the Commercial hotels had taken up quarters in Young and Tripe’s building, but dozens of them rushed pell mell into the street when it was whispered abroad that the building was alight in the roof. Happily this Btory was only partially oorreot, and danger was successfully averted, This was the only bui ding in the whole biook whioh resisted the flamos. On eoveral occasions it seemed that the place mu-t go. A window of a room in an upper Btoroy broke wi'.h tho heat of tho fi:o, wh'ch by this time was flaring up from Castendyko and Focke’s building on tho Foathorston' street side, and gushing forth from tho Commercial Bank’s premises on the other. Several tenants at tbi3 stage stood in the room, expecting every minute to see the flrmes make their appearance in tho apartment, Papers and othor inflammable material were removed from tho room, and an attempt was mads to further protect the place by means of a wet cafpet, but the water difficulty here again made itself manifest, l’horo was no water in the taps oi the. buildings with which to saturate a oarpet-, whilst the buoksts had already been emptied. Meantime tho flames drove on down Featherston street, and although the Messrs Young and Tripe’s building had several other narrow escapes frem ignitiDg, it survived tho bhzs.

On the lumbton Quay sido Whitoombe and Tombs’ fine iarga building and valuable stock a'so caugbt, uud soon became a roaring furnace. Ths Commercial Hotel and the Trocadeto had by this time almost disappeared. Tho leaden cables of tho telephono service mi lted, an i the poles of thaehcsric t-Biii cables bent nearly double. The atrtfi itself, a wo* dm bl clc d one, wa-<v-tu ally o-< fir-', a-d the tram rails were hot =u north si 0 sol-.s of Olio’s boots. At Wniteo üb-3 an. l Tomb.-, tho fire (■O'-im-mt'./ii* (run above gradually rtovonred fl >or niter floor in it? daso.-nu

au suen wdh a sudden roar, is burst open sso mg iron situ fora on the ground float, H.id swept ui 11 br.ghs ted mais-eo-ose tro read. Tab pre-sura from witbm was eo

g out that ths iron s-hu’.tera stoud out over •: a footpath almost 1.0 iz imaliy, while tho furnace wituiu be’cued its flouted for some moments, and ai the pressure hsionod they closed down again, and tbo flea want on with its work. Next to Messrs Whitoombe and Tombs wao the fine building of the Bank of New On-tl. W»!.~ A-_ 11-. .... ,

—— 7-T-rn .u;ni sot tho roof of the Oomunrotul bniioi ablosio, Thou tho fjro got iu through tho frout windows of tho hotel boomiso tho brigado hud not auilioiont vvutor to got nt it, ovon from tho votundub. Next tho flimos workod buolt through tho Oominotciul hotol to tho Trooadoro, mid whut with this nnd tho grout bout from tho iusurmioo building across tho street, it beoumo quickly ovidont that both j hole's wore doomod. Iu tho Commercial Hotrd tho alarm was first given by a fox toriior that 1:

strayed ihto tbo hoto! a fortnight ago, urn bad boon taken charge of by iilui hoto porter, named Wilson. This terrier,

I sleeping on tho door uiat of Wilson’s I room, awoke hnn by barking. Wilson immediately arose, and navy that n tiro bad broken out a oouplo of doors nway. Ho drossod hurriedly, and awakenod tho 1 tijuaoo, Mr Dwyer, uud inmates of tho hotel. At this tima tho tiro was outiroly confined to a small tvoudan building botwoan Bitkins’ and tho Trocadoro, and thoro was nothing to iutimato any furihor danger, exo. p 5 a strong nor' woslor, and a

(Union Bank of Auetrallo won already in ruins, It was a wooden building. Tho Bonk of Now South Walos, howovor, wae a splondid modom struoturo, supposod to bo firo proof. Most peoplo thought it would resist tbo Ore, In a little whila it was on firo and burning furiously, Now only its walls and partitions arn standing

amidst tbo smoking ruins, and X£o,ooo

worth of otontf and brioks and mortar has gone through tho most trying ordoal n building oould go through sho.t of a disastrous earthquake, It is stetod that somo

iron doors whioh worn to oost XBS woro out out of tbo specifications at tbo last momont bcouutin tbo oontruct prreo exceeded tho estimate by somo X‘2ooo, and but for that tho building might huvo boon savod. Tho thick wall and partitions of tho building, howovor, savod tho situation

in so fur as tho roe! of tho southernmost portion of Lambtou Quay was oonooruod, for tbo firo mado slow progress through tbo building, and was eventually oheoked at tbo further wall.

By 10 o’olook tho bank staff had resumed operations in tho paitinlly-oon-structod now offices of tho Bank of Australasia. Carpenters woro at work completing tho desks on whioh tho men woro already at work on tho ledgors, and tho mauogor was to bo soon in a baro room carefully scrutinising a outuloguo of safos with a view" to furtbor safety sgainst lire and robbory. It was quick work.