THE FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 243, 31 October 1873, Page 6

THE FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

. (From the Auckland 'Star.!) This morning (October 15), shortly after the hour of twelve had been tolled by the town clock, an alarm of fire was rung out from the city bells. The weather was veryboisterous, a strong N.E. gale blowing, accompanied by.heavy downfalls of rain. The first note of alarm, given by the bells of the ISTew Zealand Insurance Company, was taken up almost instantaneously by the bell at the junction of Wakefield and G-rey-streets. The locality of the conflagration was soon discovered to be a narrow lane leading from Eort-street into Customhouse-street, and giving a back entrance to the large brick stores on the east side of Lower Queen-street. The buildings abutting on this street were mostly of brick, and were used for storage. The constable on duty near the block was the first to discover indications of fire, his attention being drawn by a strong glare in Mr. J. S. Macfa-rlaue's back store, from which smoke was issuing in thick volumes. This store was filled with flax, cotton seed, and other combustible materials, which burned very fiercely with an almost unquenchable flame and intense heat. THE HEIGHT-OF THE FIEE. . About one o'clock the fire,' which had been raging unchecked in the interior of Messrs. J. S. Macfarlane's and Henderson and Macfarlane's buildings, broke out into. Queen-street through the doorway and office window of J. S. Macfarlane's store. The building occupied by Stone Brothers, whichwas built partly of wood and partly of brick, now caught fire, and the flames extended to the roofs of the buildings, and the whole city was illuminated with the reflection of the fire, although the night before the outbreak was intensely dark. The firemen worked hard, but their jets were almost useless against the immense body of flames forming the the conflagration, and the chief attention was directed to the saving of adjoining premises. Messrs. Thornton, Smith, and Firth's engine was got to work, and rendered ; good service, Through its agency the

premises of Mr. Gr. W. Binney were undoubtedly saved. The force of water burst the liose repeatedly. Efforts weremade to preserve the buildings higher up Queen-street. Mr. HighleyVstore contained 1,000 bags of maize, 100 sacks of potatoes, and a quantity of flour, bacon," cheese, &c. This was much damaged by water and removal. In the same building was Mr. Black's boot and shoe warehouse, he having removed to those premises after : being burned out five weeks ago. . His goods were mostly removed, and much damaged. Of the block between Mr. Binney's and Fort-street, the Metropolitan Hotel, which is the only wooden building of the block, perhaps stood in the most danger. It was on fire several : •times, large flakes falling on the roof and igniting the shingles, which are very much damaged. The furniture and premises were deluged with water, and were thus saved from fire at the cost of being almost ruined by flood. This is the fifth 'time that this building has been surrounded by fire, and yet escaped. Messrs. E. and H. Isaac's store in Forth-street at one time was threatened; but, through the exertions of those about the. premises,, and a plentiful supply of water, it also was saved. On the lower side of the-' centre of the fire, adjoining Henderson and Macfarlane's store, was Mr. L. W.: Eaton's consisting of front and back stores. The back store caught fire, arid was quickly burned to the ground, but the front store fortunately escaped. Next to this was the U.S.N.Z. fruit depot, which several times caught fire, but was extinguished by the exertions of a number of willing volunteers. The precaution was taken to remove a quantity of powder from the store of Captain Anderson to the magazine on board the barque Lady j Bowen. The stores alongside Custom-'! house-street were also threatened, andwere the scene of very active exertions. Mr. H. B. Morton's store was probably saved th'rough salt spread over the timber by Mr. 11. Isaacs. FALL OJ? WALLS. After the fire had burned for about an hour in Mr. J. S. Macfarlane's store the south wall fell with, a crash upon the roof of Messrs. Stone Brotheirs store, then blazing fiercely within, The roof, of course, gave way, and subdued the flames for a few minutes, which, however, broke forth'with-greater force, almost directly afterwards, and it was seen that therb was no hope of saving the building. - Mr. Leaning's, tinsmith's shop, was rapidly consumed, and Mr. GvW. Binney's store stood for a while in the balance. The' upper storeys of this buildings caught repeatedly at the back-window, and the fire came through and destroyed a quantity of furniture and personal effects. It also . kept breaking out on the roof. -The store was full of goods/and,-had it gone, tvvo of our local insurance companies, would have suffered very serious loss. By half-past two it was seen that the extension of the fire in a southerly direction-had been completely checked. A little before two o'clock the stone coping along the front of the building fell with such force as to cut through the flagstones and imbed itself in the pathway nearly a ■ foot. The mass fell in one block the length of the building, and seemed almost to remain intact where it dropped. The - remainder of the wall was strapped with iron and consequently still remains firm.

■ DECLINE OF THE FIIIE. By three o'clock it was certain the fire was got under, and although the igniting of new combustibles and the strong wind fanned it into fierce flames every now and again throughout the night, ; and this morning, there was no real danger of its spreading to the new buildings. It is a matter for sincere regret that those stores which were amongst the most substantial in the city, should have been destroyed. The stocks' burned were large and valuable. EEPOKTED LOSS OF LIFE UNTBUE. A number of persons were employed in the upper, stores removing goods, and were compelled to retire owing to the dense smoke. [Rumors were circulated in consequence to the effect that some had been suffocated, and being unable to. retire were consumed in the flames. These reports were strengthened by being given publicity to in this morning's 'Cross,' and caused unnecessary alarm in town. They are, we find on careful' enquiry,, wholly groundless. We learn, however; that the shipping reporter of that journal/ regardless of danger, was very diligentlysearching for something—believed to have been a whisky cask —when he was discovered and borne insensible from the scene, in a sail, cloth, in which he had enveloped . his manly - form. Beyond this thrilling incident we are nofcaware of any accidents worthy of chronicling/ although there were the narrow escapes'that invariably attend fires. When the smoke became so choking as to threaten the suffocation of those engaged on the upper fiats of the stores, there can be no. question j that several persons would have borne i out the 'Cross's ' assertions by becoming insensible if they had not- cleared out ;

but,- having respect for their' lives, tliey promptly took the j most- advisable course and-left; It'is also true that had'they remained until the floor fell in, they would have been roasted alive,j but this also they naturally objectedto do, : and therefore betook themselves'to safe quarters. THE NEXT MOENING. , The scene .thisrmorning at. daylight was very saddening. It could not be said., as in the case of the late fire, that the ravages of the element had only- destroyed what unsightly and old. '* Here were some of the finest buildings in the city reduced to a mass of smoking ruins. At eight o'clock dense volumes of thick smoke were issuing from the ruinsj- in the midst of which jets of flaine were here and there to be discerned. The large quantities of kauri gum and flax which were consumed gatve the flames an inexhaustible supply of fuel. The gum which in a half consumed state lay on the site of Hender r son and Macfarlane's store, seemed to have melted down into a cake mass. It was by the liquid, gum running -through into Eaton's store that the fire was-spread in that direction. The total destruction of such substantial brick buildings as Henderson' and "and S. 'Macfarlane l "s stores was very remarkable, and can only be attributed to the intense " from the inflammable materials on the spot.- - The interiors of both are completely gutted. -