FIRE IN PRINCES STREET.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 279, 11 July 1874, Page 3

FIRE IN PRINCES STREET.

At five minutes to 1 o'clock on the 4th inst., the firebell it the tower rang out the alarm, and in a -very few seconds the streets were alive with people hurrying from all directions towards the Octagon. Those conversant with such matters, and who pretended to know all about it, stated that the fire was at Hogg and Hutton's. On our reporter arriving at this place, it seemed to be an undecided point as to the locality of the fire. Aluminous smoke was seen ascending from above the block of buildings occupied by this firm but a very fe\y seconds sufficed to tell that the flames were raging within the establish - ment of Mr:. A. R. Hay, the linen-draper. There was nothing to be seen from the front to lead to such a conclusion, but a crackling could be heard from within which plainly: denoted the vicinity of a fire; and while the people where rushing about here and there in a state of uncertainty, a body of flame suddenly burst, forth lrom the roof at the back, and an immediate stampede was made to the rear, by way of the Octagon. At this time there were three or four policemen present and several of the Brigade, and an entrance was effected by the side door of Hogg and Hutton's warehouse. A number of people made their way upstairs, and found the upper part of the building filled with smoke; ut at present the fire appeared to be confined to the adjoining premises. Several gentlemen passed through the back windows _on to the roof, near to where the flames were raging, and among these we observed Mr. Melville and' Mr. Campbell, of the firm of Calvert and Campbell, who did service by pointing out the exact position- of the flanies. vln tin .incredibly short space of time a large number of the Fire Brigade had assembled and got everything in readiness to overcome the flames.; A hose wasMtaken- through Hogg and Hutton's, and from the back windows of this building the firemen, commenced fo play upon the burning roof. Almost simultaneously a ladder was reafedagainst the back-wall andanother began to unite the strength of the water from his jet with that ot his fellow workmen, and ther combined efforts in a very : few minutes sufficed; to-deaden the .flame, and apparently to crush out every spark I of-fire in this direction. The flames : altogether succumbed arid nothing was to ; be seen; but clouds of steam and smoke; In the' meantime,'however, the danger had' increased in' the frbnt r for the fire had spread in this direction, arid the whole of I sf|}fopi and'upper.-portion of the establish-

ment facing Princes- street was in a blaze inwardly, but as yet no flames had issued from the front. The shutters were evidently shiiviling up before the intense heat, as but a few minutes sufficed for the flames to leap out of the upper portion of the'shop and lick there way along the walls. The firemen, however, were ready for their enemy and poured a continuous supply of water on it for same minutes, though without appearing to obtain the mastery. A ladder was planted in front- of the shop, and some of the firemen carried- up the hose to the first-floor, window, and poured in such a flood of water that" the fire was not able to withstand it. At the sanie time the lower' portions of the shutterswere broken open, and another, torrent poured in upon the flames within. In a very few minutes the combined efforts of the men had succeded in stamping out the danger, and rendering this part of the premises as flameless, steamy, andsmolcy as the other. The fire was now virtually over, and the spectators, of whom several hundreds had collected in a very few minutes, dispersed.

Great praise is due to the Brigade for the marvellously rapid manner in which they collected together, and for the very efficient steps which they took to extinguish the fire. Judging from what we have lately read in Auckland and what we have ourselves seen there,-we have no hesitation in saying that had the fire been in that city, or had the same disorgariisd Fire Brigade appeared upon the. scene with its ; two or three inefficient heads, and Its limited water supply, the entire; block would have been destroyed, and an immense loss of property- insured. A word of praise..is.,.als.Q..dyte. T to the police Jbr the, manner in which they turned up, arid the order they kept under the command of Mr CommissionerWeldon and Sub-inspector Mallard, both of whom were on the spot within a few minutes of the first alann being given; _ ' ;

; Some of our readers will no doubt, recollect the disastefousfire in Princesstreet in the early part of the year 1866, which resulted in the entire block as far as the Criterion Hotel, together with a number of buildings on the opposite side of the street, being destroyed. The fire on that occasion originated on the premises, of an ironmonger named Wilson, who was afterwards tried for the crime of incendiarism and acquitted. As near as can be ascertained, the fire this morning originated on precisely the same spot. On the previous occasion the buildings were composed tirely of wood, and, had the same material been in use upon this occasion, there caii be little, doubt but that we shonld have been called upon to record a much more serious affair. The adjoining ; premises entirely 4 escaped, with the exception of some slight damage occasioned by water. Since writing the above we have learned the following particulars:—-The building is entirely gutted ; all the stock feeingapparently burned, with the exception of that portion of it which was on the shelves, and this is thoroughly scorched: The fire is supposed to have originated at tbe northwest angle of the building, where there is a fire-place.unprotected by any fender. Mr,,, Hay ■ states that he and the porter, named Thomas Stratton, were the last to leave the establishment, at three minutes past six o'clock, by the side door leading to the Octagon ; and that there was a fire burning in the fire-place the day before, but he cannot remember anything as to whether it was put out or not. The building had a narrow escape from being burned a year ago, through the same fire.-, place having a defective construction. An inspection of the fire-place, together with the quantity of cinders and deirit about it,' tend slrongly to show that it was there the fire originated. . The following are the insurances . Australian Alliance, £IOOO on the stock ; Victorian, £IOOO on the stock; South British, £IOOO on the buildiflg; Liverpool, London, and Globe, £IOOO on the building ; London and Lancashire, £SOO on the building (doubtful). Mr. Hay states that he took stock in February or March last, when the value was £5300'Guardian.'