GREAT FIRE AT WELLINGTON.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 118, 23 May 1868, Page 6

GREAT FIRE AT WELLINGTON.

ESTIMATED LOSS, £12,000. (Prom out Otvn Correspondent.) Sunday, May 17th, 5 p.m. A Fire of unusual magnitude occurred this morning at the Beach, which has resulted in the total destruction of the following premises : , The South Sea Hotel, * Steam Furniture Warehouse, . Kane, Draper, Carmont, Butcher, Moffitt, Dentist. The following were only partially burnt: Armstrong, Saddler, Nebly, Cabinet-maker, Cohen, Tobacconist, Brown, Grocer. Nearly all are partially insured. The above was published in an Extra, on Monday morning last. We take the following particulars from the Journal : —“ Between the hours of 12 and 1 o’clock, on Sunday morning, a fire broke out on the premises of Mr. Kane, draper, Larabton-quay. It was first discovered by three men named Cunningham, Eagan, and Percy, who were passing at the time, and observed flame and a quantity of smoke issuing from the side of Mr. Kane’s premises, next the South Sea Hotel, They immediately gave the alarm, rushing down the street crying fire, Messrs. Harding, Kershaw, and Laing were about the first to arrive at the scene. Mr. Harding burst open the front door of the South Sea Hotel to apprise the inmates of their danger; by this time the fire had reached the hotel, and the proprietor Mr. Mundle had barely sufficient ‘time to get his family (who had retired to bed) out of the house, before it became a perfect mass of flame. The Central and Wellington Fire Brigades were almost immediately in attendance, and commenced playing upon the burning pile, and the inhabitants, roused by the clanging of the fire-bells, assembled in large numbers and rendered most valuable assistance in removing property out of reach of the fire. Notwithstanding the exertions of the firemen, the devastation spread fast; the premises of Mr. James, the upholsterer, next became a victim, after which those of Messrs. Armstrong, saddlers, Carmont and Haigh, butchers, Cohen, tobacconist, quickly followed. The premises of Messrs. Brown, grocer, and Webb, upholsterer, at each end of- the conflagration, were completely gutted and rendered perfectly unfit for occupation by the people, as it was feared, should the fire reach them that the entire block of buildings would be consumed. The fire raged most fiercely for three hours, and it was only at twenty minutes to 6 a.m. that the combined efforts of the fire brigades succeeded in getting it under. The estimated loss in round numbers is about £ 12,000 which is insured as follows: Mr. Kane, draper, £3OOO, Globe Office, and £IOOO with New Zealand Fire Insurance Company. Mr. James, upholsterer, £IOOO in the Royal. Mr. Mundle, South Sea Hotel, £SOO, Royal. Armstrong Brothers, £IOOO in the North British, Northern, and the London and Liverpool. Mr. Webb, upholsterer (partly), £3OO in the North British. The landlord of the South Sea Hotel (Mr. MHntosh) was offered, only a few weeks previous to the fire, £ISOO for the premises, which were uninsured. We understand that Mr. Waldin, the owner of the premises occupied by Mr. Brown, was fully insured.

Messrs. Carmont and Haigh, Cohen, and Brown, were uninsured.