GREAT FIRE AT NAPIER.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2450, 11 February 1882, Page 3

GREAT FIRE AT NAPIER.

[Bt Tkpkgraph.J NAPIES, February 10The moat disastrouslfirejfor years past occurred this evening just after eight o’clock. It broke out in the buildings occupied by Mr Fair, a draper, who bought the stock of Messrs Price and Innes about a month ago. It is conjectured that an explosion of gas was the cause, as the fire seemed to burst out simultaneously in all parts of the shop, and to spread with unexampled rapidity. In twenty minutes .£15,000 worth property was destroyed. The fire brigades had just been out practising, and had put the steam engine into the shed and let the fires out, and this caused delay, as the fire had to be built and the boiler filled, and steam got up. In the meantime the hand engine and hose supplied from high pressure seemed to have no effect. The offices of Mr Cornford (solicitor), and of Mr Carnell (photographer) next went. Though the contents were saved they were much damaged in the removal. Large and Townley’a large furniture establishment next caught, and a small building at the side was gutted, all the carpets and oilcloth being destroyed._ Most of the furniture was removed, hut the brigades, by almost superhuman exertions. saved the main building. Part of Peddie’a old hotel was burned, but the new building bow going up was saved. It is impossible to give the exact losses or insurances, but might estimate them as follows: Value of buildings, which were very old, about £lO 0 ; Fair’s stock £9OOO, and which was recently bought from the trustees of the bankrupt estate of Price and Innes for £6600; Camell’s loss about £4OO, chiefly thronghjdamage in removal; Largo and Townley, about £SOO by fire and £2OO by damage; Peddle, about £2OO by fire and damage to furniture removed; Comford’s Inss is slight if all the deeds in safe are secure, which cannot he ascertained. The Eev. J. Campbell is the owner of the buildings destroyed. Insurances as far as known are—£looo each Eoyal, Fcoltish, Union, Victoria, all on Fair’s stock ; National £SOO, reinsured from Victoria ; Carnell’s stock, £2OO in the South British; Large and Townley to the full amount of loss in tho Union. It is not known where the buildings are insured. Later, The following are the losses by the fire as nearly as can be estimated. Fair’s stock at wholesale value, £5500; when he bought it it was put down at nearly £7OOO, but ha gave only 11s In the £ lor it. It therefore cost him £3600. Comford’a loss is slight. Carnell puts the damage to his p’ant at from £3OO to £IOO, chiefly from tho removal. Blackwell loses £l5O, and is not insured; Peddie, of the Clarendon Hotel, loses about £2OO from fire and damage ; the contractors for the new hotel about £ISOO. Large and Townley about £7ho to £6OO, of which nearly £6OO is from fire, and the rest damage. Another £IOO will cover the slight damages fo the other buildings. The correct insurances are—Eoyal, Union, Scottish and Imperial £loooeach. the Victoria and National, £SOO each, all on Fair’s stock ; New Zealand, £2OO on the buildings and £IOO on Cornford’s books and furniture. Carnell’a in the South British for £200; Large and Townley, Union, £300; New Zealand, £2OO, and the South British, £700; Victoria, £339; National, £500; Peddie, in the Union, £6OO.