Disastrous Fire.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3558, 10 August 1905, Page 2

Disastrous Fire.

Mb' AMAIN STREET BLOCK DESTROYED. HEAVY LOSSES. Shortly before half-past five o’clock on Tuesday evening a fire broke out in the block of buildings on the east side of Main Street, between All Saints’ Anglican £burch and Mr M. H. Walker’s on the corner of Main and WlmC streets. Three buildings, including thfi of New Zealand, Messrs' Wyatt Clark and Co.’s, aucti«ieesfi> and Chung Wab, grocer and £ttiterer, were completely destroyed. The auction mart and Chinese shop were very old two-storeyed buildings, and when the flames obtained a hold, which was only a matter of a few mimites, it was evident that nothing could stop them. Apparently the fire started in the upstairs part of the mart, but no reason can be assigned to account for the outbreak. The dangerous situation of the bank soon became apparent, and the manager, Mr C. England, at once began with several willing helpers to remove the bank books, etcf, a position of safety, and similar steps were taken with the contents of the residentalportion of the building. Mr England managed to save the majority of his furniture, J etc., though man/ small articles were damaged during the necessarily hurried and unceremonious handling. ■ Meantime the fire had praducally got complete control of the adjoining premises, and soon began its inroads on the bank. In the auction mart there was a considerable amount of goods awaiting sale" and all this was lost. The occupants of the Chinese shop barred the doors and would, not allow the public to enter, so that except for a quantity of stuff got out at the back ' the whole of the stock, amounting to several. hundred pounds worth, was lost* Mr Walker’s shop on the corner next appeared in grave danger, and its destruction was only averted by most strenuous efforts: on the part of a number o£ willing persons who formed themselves into a bucket brigade, securing S, supply of water from Hotel yard. Fortunately a space: of some 15 or 20 feet between the: Chinese shop and Walker’s tended, to assist the volunteer firemen, who, however, had a very arduous task, not unmixed with some danger. While a constant sprinkling of water down the roof and sides was( kept up, several men, in spite of; the great heat that was blistering the wall, managed to secure against it a number of sheets of corrugated! iron, which eventually saved the building. As, however, it had seemed before this that the shop must inevitably- go, a number of hands got to work removing the stock into the street; and soon the interior looked as if a tornado had been turned loose in it. Piles of miscellaneous articles were scattered about the floor, and many things suffered damage before removal* When eventually it was seen that ! the shop was pretty safe the scattered goods outside were collected and replaced inside. It took a dozen hands between two and three hours to restore a semblance of order in the; shop. ■ While the fire was at its height and fast reducing the bank to ashes it was seen that the church, in the adjoining section, was in considerable danger, though a space of some 30 or 40 feet and the existence of two or three large pinuS insignis trees, with bushy tops, tended to add to its chances of being saved. As however, the roof was of shingles, another bucket brigade was oi<B ganised and men stationed along the top of the building, though several of the windows were cracked and the paint on the wall blistered by the heat. In anticipation of the destruction of the church every stick of furniture, including the organ, altar, etc., was removed and placed in safety in the school room.

INSURANCES AND LOSSES. So far as we have been; able to ascertain the insurances were as follows :

Bank premises, ,£4OO, furniture £25, and stationery £2O, all in the New Zealand Insurance Co.; manager’s private furniture, etc., £3OO in the State Fire Departments The building was completely' destroyed, though, as already stated,' a large portion of the contents was saved.

The auction mart, owned by Mr H. Austin and occupied by Messrs Wyatt Clark and Co,, carried no insurances, and owner and occupiers lost everything, the latter estimating their loss at from tO j£2oo. The Chinese grocery premises were owned apd occupied by Chung Wah and Co. i and it is understood the stock, a large one, was covered, but the amount is not available.

tmmfmmmimummmti mwiranmun ~JLA— - » .1, ■ ui . ■ .„«-i i i v m i.iflt »■ i Mr Walker’s stock was insured for in the New Zealand office and the buildings for Z 2 s° ,n National After an examination he estimates his loss in goods damaged at about ,£75 or /80, and expects it will cost another /125 or /30 to effect repairs caused to the building by heat. INCIDENTS. By seven o’clock nothing remained of the burned block but half a dozen brick chimneys and heaps of smouldering- ruins, which cast a fitful glare of light up through the darkness. While at its height the fire presented a fine spectacle, and before long 200 or 300 people were present. The heat, however, was intense, and kept the crowd at a respectful distance. Windows shops on the opposite side ot street were cracked, a' K( te j e . phone wires. wh; iCb r ' a „ al b the bnram- buil(lings , w?r * several cases fused, causing a interruption of the Service,

The State Fire Insurance office is sending an adjuster up to-day to value salvage. The two bank safes appear to have withstood the heat well. One was opened yesterday, containing bank books, etc., which were found in fair order. The second We, containing a large amount of tstsh and valuable documents, was opened this morning, by sawing through the side, the locks defying all attempts on them. The contents were found to be in good order. A rumour has been current that the old; buildings occupied by Wyatt Clark and Co. and Chung Wah had been condemned by the Borough Building Inspector. This the Town Clerk states, was not so. The Inspector had required that certain fire-escapes should be provided, but neither the owner nor the former occupier (a hoardinghouse keeper) would incur this expense, and the latter gave up Business. The buildings themselves were not condemned.

Those who were engaged in saving property, etc., at the fire had several exciting experiences. Mr. J. Hunter, who was putting iron against the wall of Walker’s shop, had his hat charred to a cinder, showing how great was the heat. At another time Constable Whitehouse, while he was assisting at the church, narrowly missed sudden death by a piece of timber from the ridge of the high roof. The board, ten or 12 feet long, slid down the shingles and whizzed down past the constable’s ear. So close in fact, was it that the constable’s face was grazed. While the fire was at it’s height, Haywood’s Hotel was in some danger, , and a large number of blankets were hung over the Hall street frontage, and kept deluged with water. Large clouds of steam given of by the soaked blankets testified to the heat that was playing upon them.

Mr. M. H. Walker, in another column thanks all who assisted in saving his shop and s tock on Tuesday night. Mr. and Mrs. England return thanks for assistance in saving their private property, and a similar notice is inserted on behalf of, the Bank of New Zealand.

Mr and Mrs T. Haywood insert a ,'notice of thanks to all who assisted in saving their hotel on Tuesday night. Mr. England, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, has secured temporary offices at the shop lately occupied by Mr. Noonan, painter, and opened for business to-day.