WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 369, 17 May 1856, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

On Sunday morning a fire broke out in the buildings and stores at the head of the bay, adjoining the Custom House, which, we regret to say, has occasioned the entire destruction of the block of buildings in which it occurred. The fire was first observed about half past 3 o'clock in the morning, when flames were seen to issue through the roof of the huildings near the sea in the direction of Mr. Tel ford's store. The flames rapidly spread towards Mr. Hervey's stores, which were soon involved in the conflagration ; and at one time the Custom House, which is on the opposite side of the street, was in flames, and if the fire had extended hi this direction the loss would have been very much more serious, but this was fortunately prevented by Mr. Carkeek, the collector, who mounted the roof, and with the assistance of Skey, the boatman and others, got the flames under, and by a plentiful supply of water passed in buckets from hand to hand the flames were kept under, and confined to the front part of the building, while Mr. "W. Newman, (Mr. Lvov's assistant,) and others, were actively employed in preventing the spread of the fire to Mr. Flyger's store, next the Custom House, which was at one time in imminent danger. All the books and papers of the Custom-House were saved by Mr. Carkeek, with the active assistance of a sergeant of the 65:h regiment. About five o'clock the fire was at its height, the flanes shooting up in one tall column into the sky, and seeming to mock the efforts of those who endeavoured to arrest their progress The morning was providentially vevy culm, not a breath of air stirring; most providentially, also, a high brick wail, forming1 the south side of Messrs Hervey's stores (formerly the Ordnance stores), which had stood through two earthquakes, prevented the flames from spreading in that direction. By dint of great exertion the flames were at length got under, and by eight o'clock all further apprehension of danger ceased, but the engines continued to play on the smoking ruins till eleven o'clock. In the evening they were again set to work to guard against the possibility of danger from the smoking embers. The block of buildings destroyed consisted of the Post Office, and the stores of Messrs. Crawford, Telford, Duncan, and Hevvey, Smith and Co., forming a compact block extending from the head of the bay to ;Mr. Loxley's store, and bounded on the cast by Farish-street, on the opposite side of which were the Custom House, and Mr. Flyger's stores. The property destroyed has been estimated at from £20.000 to" £25,000, none of which, we regret to say, was insured. Besides those we have iv-uned as the owners of the stores that have been destroyed, and on whom the buruen of the loss chiefly falls, we understand there are others who hail s^ooils stored either in Messrs. Hervey, Smith & Co.'s warehouses or bonded stores, and who will suffer considerably; among them, Mr. Rowlands, to about £700, and, we beHevty Messrs. iJyug, Joseph and Kelham. The origin of the fire has not yet been correctly ascertained—Spectator.