FIRE IN HOKITIKA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1613, 6 October 1873, Page 2

FIRE IN HOKITIKA.

DESTRUCTION OF THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

On Saturday we published a brief i^extraj^conteinipg-newspf4he^deßtiw tion of the Baiik of New Zealand, at Hokitika; by fireiat -an. fearlyihone Nfcljat morning, of the narrow escape of Mjr^ Rbbertsp the r Mariageiv~ ancE^em6eri«ol» ,-his family, and of the salvation of the Town Hall and Empire Hotel by the, energetic exertions. 6f the Fire Brigade and citizens. The following further particulars of the d^aste^Wjsre published in a special edition of the^esi Coast Times of which, we have received a copy :— " It. is. .with great regret that^we have to chronicle another disaster • from, fire) resulting in ; the litter destrucrtipn r>t^^He Bank of New Zealand and, serious injury to other bmldings. At about a .quarter to five o'clock this .morning, , the fi^bell gave' ! the : dlarni, arid ; ii' was discdvier^d that a fire had broken out inline* kitchen or one of the back offices of' the j Bank 1 !: of . ', New "Zealand/ •in street. a; j.yery ;shprt i;? time ' the' £ t 'fir f e gained ; the 'm'asteryj '"and- '%.6^gh^'Hti.e Brigade turned out' with 0 'their'' c usual promptitude they found , the back'bf 'the building ; a^e i.mass i''of ■&J,tae.'^'Mr'* Bobcirts and family; had ib I 'Spare,' in order to save their lives, ;'and Miss 'Brady was rescued with some difficulty, being taken out of pne f of theupper^jwindows where, the v basement .was. pn fiire. .In almost less time than it ' takes to write it, ' the fire had got affirm' hold, and it was . clear that the . eflbrts of the Brigade were perfectly 'useless* and 'the'; building < was doomed. Shortly after tfie'fire'b'roKe but a freshbreeze: from the-easfcward-seir-in and fanne'd'tii'e %re to sucn-an extent as speedily to envelope. it|in a mass of flame. The safety of .th^Mjqinu§[ buildings was now seriouslyßm^erMta!. The Bank of • New South Wales/tfd^Hogg's former furpiture> -awarehpuse „.y?er^ v .threateneil ? > andritheiJeffprteifofrthei^Brigajie; * VJbe directed to.albernajkeJy playing on these and the Empire ( -The latter buiWing.was speedily inyblanketa, •which ithe. exei!tionßn;of' n avinurajb [ er ) l f rpf peoplejr aidedj?,byiKthe I;Fire ; üß^tgade, succeeded in keeping wet. The '.Bjan^ '' building was ,mpat : „ substantially J con- >* structed and a yery fecily r dtry timber wai contained in it, and the blaze at ; this time was fearful. The / paint on the adjoining buildings-began.»tb blister^ and ! the glass crackeli^riji^early all the windows round. „. The wind shifted slightly at half-pas|ifiv^|6'clbck. The full force of the firer;:was toirjsqted against the Empire, whicte rc^ngmialight in several places; All hope, of saying. a stick pithe Bank-wasatrjan jend. , The.elfpWof' &c Brigade were directed to sa^ing.^tie' hpjfel. The whole of the members pithe Brigade worked gallantly, .and, sliei^ed in some degree from' |iip tremeriddnsyheat.pf the burning r ]Building,: b^ - dbbra;' picke'd'^up, goodness knp^B from- where, by clothes heaped on Hhern^ arid other defences managed itotkeep, a stream f pf , watter. on the -"" burning ..places. T . , Ls. this ' jorfeture ' the TowriHall^wasfouridto'be on fire, and strenuous "effbirts were made to save it, which proved; successful. r/ A part "bf the upper cornice was cut away) and an opening made through the side^by. jwhich water was enabledi tAb^y^&ow'nvori^|he spots where flame 'was [visible. 1 The Empire front > became;! dhtortly^a; mass sf>f flame, and the straggle between )the> fire and its opponents was ; • arduous; tox« degree. Messrs Osborne, Cozens, Churches, Horton^ arid bthersj' 1? in; addition to the Brigade, worked manfully and prudently, " and at last, though the destruction of thtf hotel .!&£ one 1 iim© I^ieemedi' to be certain>jgpt-the flre f under,- jindv,all danger on that head was at . an end. "* The saijae good fprfone attended the efforts of ithcfte on'theTown Hall, and after ;a small bl^ize on the melting-Louse catbhing,> the pieril " was passed. Too great" praise canribti -be accorded* to the Fire Brigade^aa well| aa to others ?whb rendered 'most valuable asU ■ sistance on the occasion ; but the miaerabl c inefficiency of their 'appliances was neve r -more remarkably manifested. -Mr Robert, we regret to , say, lpsesj everything, c: :- cepting the clothes he stood up in, farnature andvall ; but whether mucl^ tatk property beyond the ibuiidujg ;s. 4esj|rae4 we cannot ;at p^egenj; ;tefl.r; ,Ail[Tthfe valuable'papers.,itre£Kiq!re, wer§|coC tainedintthpQtro^g rppni^buthowihjft M has stood the fierce fiery ordeal to wflicH|^ it has been' subjected, ; we cannot' atprje'H sent say. Many : otheripar#cularswe;are ■ .also at present compelled to defer.- One^B ( thing) howeyer^ we miy dddi-and 4 - that is,^ - that .the insurance companies .. should^ boPH thankful to the yolurifeers, 'who^exerlsi™^ themselves this inofning, and tha.t tq thg -"' ■ same, cause the residents, in R.eye)l street . imay i.attribute ..tiieir- deUyerance 'jfrbm. .frightful /loss- iand disasteij' thaij^one time appeared to overtake them; .1 "v.'.;f