TERRIBLE FIRE IN SYDNEY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 4 October 1890, Page 2

TERRIBLE FIRE IN SYDNEY.

The most destructive fh'e which has ! ever occured in Sydney began fit 2 o'clock this morning in Gibbs, Sha'lard and Go's printing warehouse. The building is situated in a dense block of premise- 1 , bounded bj' Pitt. Castlerea<zh, King, and Hunter streets, containing some of the finest and most massively built warehouses and business premises in the city. The bui'dings are all of stone "nnd brick, and three to five stories in height. The flames spread with alarming rapidity, and the Southern Ciub and Feldhpino, Gottheaf & Co's large warehouse were soon a seething mass of flames. When these buildings had fairly caught, the conflagration assumed such dimensions that for the time the brigades were entirely overpowered, and there seemed little _ prospect of preventing the destruction of the whole block. One of the Club walls fell, injuring several firemen, and the wind began to increase, giving further play to the flames. Lark & Son's big dry goods establishment was next enveloped, and the fire quickly raged through it from top to bottom. At this time the wall of Gibbs, Shallard's place fell, injuring another fireman Tlip wind then changed, and drove the flames in the opposite direction upon the large edifices in Fittj stroef. Bu'l A Co's four-story soft goods warehouse caught together with Richardson and Wrench's, auctioneers, next door. Bull and Co's wns quickly ruined, and the City Bank was then enveloped in the general destruction . Another wall fell, this time frjm Bull's warehouse, crushing through the roof of Richardson and Wrench's. Unfortunately the fall was again nttended with injury to the firemen, three of whom were badly hurt, and only with great diffieufcy rescued from the avalanche of b°ams and stones. Park and Lacey's Machinery store in Clarence-street (a lane running through the block „ and Lawson & Sons lmgo furniture warehouse, on the Pitt-street frontage of the blo^k were the next to g\ At the back of the la ! ter, fronting on Oastlereagh -street, a short distance Mow the Theatre Royal is the Athenaeim Cub a fine building only [ prei'te 1 sime three years ago. This alsi was burnt out. I Twenty-five brigades were enfjitged, and a large force of the Permanent Militia kept tho streets clear. At the h e ight of tho conflagration, when the whole centro of the block wa^ in flames, the sight was impress'vely grand. It is impossible at pres nt to estimate the damage or give the uumber of buildings destroyed, but the loss will be enormous. The value of the buildings alone irrespective of the contents, will probably amount to hundreds of thousands. The fire raged four hours before it was got under control— iW« As tociation.