TARANAKI.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 90, 21 September 1868, Page 227

TARANAKI.

GREAT FIRE IN DEV ON-STREET. SEVERE SHOCK OF EARTHQUAKE. (Taranaki Herald.) On Sunday morning last, (September 6), abort 2 o’clock, afire, broke out in the store of Mr Sharland, Devon-street, which resulted in the total destruction of the building and its contents, and has been the cause of disarranging and materially damaging the type of our office. We understand that the fire was first' noticed by Constable 'Dougherty, but before six .persons, were on , the spot the whole of the place was in and it was full twenty . minutes before. the inhabitants were aware of the devastation that was taking place. The military, under command of Captain Thacker and Lieut; Nicol, of the 18th. Royal Irish, together with the Fire, Brigade, headed by Captain .Holford, were quickly on tbe spot, and speedily got their engines into play, there being plenty of water in the river. By this tine the|fire had got a hold on the building, and from a quautity of oil and other inflammable matter in the; rfir^-burnt-with fury,,, fanned as it was with a gentle breeze . from tbe east.

Our printing office was unfortunately . the next building, and although there was an opening of about thirty feet between them, yet such was the intensity of the body of flame that the office was several times on fire, and it whs only by the almost superhuman efforts of those assisting that it was not totally destroyed; as it is the damage done to the building is very considerable. On arriving ourselves at the scene of tbe disaster, we found tbe printing office door had been opened, and that several persons were kindly trying to save the plant, by removing it from the., building to the other side ofthe* road. The presses were all unshipped, cases full of letter, galleys of type, and the standing forms of the newspaper and jobs were removediodiscriininately. Although every care was used in their transit by those who carried them, yel the damage done was considerable. No one but a printer can possibly conceive the damage. the plant has ' sustained by this removal. Printers will understand .our feelings when we tell them that we found a sack containing wood letters, remains of packages of type which were tied up, column rules, side sticks, fancy letter,, a tin of ink (opened), packs of printing, cards (new), &s., &c., indiscriminately mixed.

No one deserves our thanks and praise more than the officers, non-com-missioned officers, and men of the 18th Royal Irish, who worked like slaves, and devoted the whole of their energy in trying to save the printing office building. The detachments stationed here have always shown great zeal at fires which have before occurred in this town, but ou this occasion, we may safely say we never saw men work with such good will; and they Seemed determined that the, Herald Office should not be. burnt, if it lay in their power to save it.. The coolness of Capt. Thacker in giving directions, the energy of the Ser-geant-major and the sergeants in see* ing that the orders were carried out, and the courage and daring of the men were the admiration of all, and although we have not personally: expressed our thankh individually to the officers,,non- | commissioned officers andmenengaged, Jwe take the present occasion to do so.

/Vm<i |veqreid ■ - .. • ■-.-,-^i? ,: X'7‘ Kj;-> '£f:'-yg <*■ >1 '■'V'V "--JSSU I !'■'■ •,&•’. - c sprang - up, v blowing the y v er tltjai/ ibises /northwar<t ; 4J9 jf ■ ohe;^)iejc.er lodged, between tjie'crack of the;;upper dobrs-of' ar stOr'e' L b]pppsite; iind - beirigi fauned-bythe; : wind, ; gwidu-j wbodv r A! bry. of. fire arpsg it w;as thought at -first that thfe building, was likewise in and "that the " fire was making its way through the doprs.". "The' hose of /the military engineimraediately turned on itijand quickly ,extinguished all 'signs ofthefiames/ : r fThe origin of the fire is not. known, but as ah inquest will be. 1 held oh it, ih.e oause ; of .the conflagration will no doubt be brought out in the- evidence. - ‘No one, we believe, had been in the store after three o’clock on the day previous. Mr Sharland, we understand, had a large:stock, and if so, being only insured for £3850, must be a great loser. The loss will fall on the London and Liverpool and Globe for £2250; the Victoria, £600; and the New Zealand Company, £IOOO in stock and buildings.

A smart shock of earthquake was felt on. the morning of the sth about 4 o’clock, and was more severe than has been felt for many years in this Province.

There''was an upheave followed by severe vibration of the earth and woke everybody in town. It appeared to come from south-east > to north-west.