GREAT FIRE AT NELSON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 403, 16 August 1866, Page 3

GREAT FIRE AT NELSON.

EIGHTEEN HOUSES BURNED DOWN! (From the Nelson Colonist, 7th August.) About three o’clock this (Tuesday) morning the clanging of the fire-bell alarmed the inhabitants, and a fierce glare of light in the sky, with large flames rising up in the air in the upper part of Bridge-street, showed that a large fire had broken out. The fire was found to have broken out in the Nelson Hotel, a large house belonging to Mr M’Gee, at the corner of Collingwood and Bridge-streets. The origin of the fire is variously stated; some say it arose in one of the upper bedrooms, and by others it is believed to be the work of an incendiary; but the facts, as far as are ascertainable, will come out on the inquest into the cause of the fire. From the Nelson Hotel, which blazed fiercely, the Koyal Hotel, adjoining further down the street, quickly caught fire. Then followed the premises of Mr Lancy, baker, and the worshop and dwelling house of Mr Macartney, tinplate worker. On the upper corner of Bridge-street, opposite Mr M'Gee’s, the large building occupied by Mr Condell as a store and dwelling-house, speedily caught, and all was a-blaze. It communicated the fire to another house up Collingwood-street, and soon extended its flames to the National Boarding House, kept by Mrs Townsend, on Bridge-street. Adjoining this, the crockery shop of Mr Barnes followed ; and it was only by a steady application of the smaller fire engine that the house of Mr Nattrass was preserved. Mr Fish’s premises and those of Mr Avery were soon also hopelessly in flames.

Meanwhile, to the opposite side of Bridgestreet, the heat of the flames from the Nelson and the Koyal was carried with great fury by a strong wind which was blowing from the south-west. Large flakes of fire were carried from the burning building, and the enormous heat made the houses on either side take fire. The Temperance Hall caught, and was soon wrapped in flames. Then followed the Young Men’s Christian Association, and both were rapidly beyond hope of recovery. These communicated to five or six smaller houses on the upper side. Long did the Mitre Hotel, occupied by Mr Owens, at the corner opposite to M'Gee’s, resist with its slated roof the many sparks which fell on it; but an adjoining house covered with shingles took fire, and there being no possibility of getting an engine to play on it or to preserve the Mitre, it speedily was in flames, and the fire spread on that side of the street, consuming the dwelling house adjoining the Mitre, the premises of Mr Pratt, butcher, and causing the gutting of the shop of Mr Shone, cabinet-maker, which by great effort was saved, although only the shell was left; and an outer building next door to Mrs Sharpe’s lodging house b?ing pulled down, the fire on that side was siayed, Gradually creeping against the wind, the fire reached the dwelling house close to Mr Macartney’s shop, and by very great effort, with water and wet blankets, and remarkable endurance on the part of numerous volunteers, the business premises and dwelling-house of Mr Tetton, chemist, were saved.

Altogether, la addition to the the three hotels, the Temperance Hall, the Young Men’s Christian Association Rooms, and the large store belonging to Mr Condell, about thirteen other buildings have been destroyed; and by pulling down various out-houses and intervening buildings, the progress of the fire was stayed. At first, and for more than an hour, no one could get the engines, and when the large one was put iu working order, it had to supply water by forcing from the eel pond, to the smaller engine further down. The paddocks of Mr Harley in lower Col-lingwood-street, were alive with houseless people and covered with furniture.

Mr M'Gee has saved nothing, and the people in the house had to flee for their lives. Mr Condell has also lost all; but a portion of tbe stock of Mr Owens and others has been saved.

As near as we can ascertain, the following are the names of the occupants of the houses destroyed:—

C. M'Gee’s, Nelson Hotel (new) J. Porthouse, Royal Hotel E. Lauey, baker, shop and dwelling-house John Macartney, (wide frontage) shop and dwelling-house T. Condell, grocery establishment (large corner property) —Avery, boot maker, Collingwood-street, house and shop —Fish, draper, house and shop Mrs Townsend’s Boarding Establishment Barnes, crockery-ware dealer, house and shop Temperance Hall

Rooms of the Young Men’s Christian Association

George Dickens, carpenter, dwelling-house Hugh Beattie, constable, dwelling-house H. Barraclough’s medicated bath establishment S. Owens, Mitre Hotel (large building, (quite new) Mr M*Artuey, verandah cottage, adjoining the Mitre Hotel Mr Pratt’s butchery establishment and dwelling-house

Here the fire was arrested, but it burned round the back, missing Mr Leech’s coachbuilding premises which were pulled down. Mrs Sharpe’s boarding-house was saved by the same means as Mr Tatton’s house, by daring exertion and a plentiful supply of wet blankets.

The loss at a rough calculation is between £IO,OOO and £12,000. Mr M'Gee was insured for £1,700, and Mr Porthouse to about half the value of his stock. Mr Owens’ insurance had unfortunately lapsed, and he has lost almost everything, for what has been saved proves much damaged. Mr Fish has also lost his all to about £250, and is also uninsured: books and stock all gone. Mr Townsend is also uncovered. Mr Condell’s property is be lieved to be covered; but there is a great loss on a large stock which he had on hand.

The fire was stopped in its progress towards the Provincial Government buildings by the house of Mr Luke Kattrass, the walls of which are zinc, and which as well as the shingled roof were thickly covered by a creeping plant, which, with the water that was thrown upon it, resisted the progress of the flames, and saved at least two other buildings, if not more. Unfortunately Mr Nattrass has suffered considerable damage to both house and furniture, the roof as well as the wood work inside having taken fire from the external heat, and melted the zinc plates in several parts. Some of Mr M* Gee’s children had a very narrow escape, one of them being literally dragged through the flames by Mr M‘Gee. The Temperance Hall is partly insured, and so we understand are the Association Booms. The piano and music of the Harmonic Society was saved from the Temperance Hall, as were also the insignia of the Trustees and Free Masons. The smaller dwelling houses which have been burned, will cause great loss and distress to their owners, who are generally quite uninsured. , On the same evening as the fire, a public meeting was held ut the Provincial Hall, Nelson, for the purpose of raising subscriptions to relieve lire sufferers from it. An inquest was held on the Bth, when the Jury returned a verdict to the effect that the Nelson Hotel (the building where the fire originated) was burnt between the. hours of three and Jour o’clock on ine morning of the 7th inst.,- but that they believed that the fire arose accidentally.