DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 5, 7 January 1869, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

Large and destructive fires seem to be the order of the day. Taranaki, Timaru, and Wanganui have had theirs, and now Auckland seems determined not to be behind hand. We , take the following account from the Weekly News of the 2nd inst.: — A fire took place on Monday night last, at Mr W. S. Grahame's bonded store, next to the stone building lately used as the Customhouse, Fort-street, which resulted in the destruction of property valued at between £2000 and £3000. The origin of the fire is at present unknown, but is supposed to have arisen | from some inflammable goods iv the store having spontaneously ignited. The last person, who left the store about half-past 4 o'clock, Mr A. Mitcheson, the storeman, locked up the place, leaving all in apparent safety, and sent the keys up to Mr W. Grahame (there are two sets of keys, one kept by Mr Norton of the Customs), I The Customhouse locker left about the same time also, and all then seemed to be as usual. Soon after 9 o'clock, however,

sihdke was seen to issue from the iron roof Of the store, dnd an alarm was at once given and the fire bells were rung id various parts of the town. The alarm being heard at the various places of amusement, which were pretty ull last night; a rush was made to the scene of the disaster, and amongst the crowd might be observed several gentlemen in evening costume; The 'Auckland ' engine,- under the supervision Of Superintendent Asher, of tbe Fire Brigade; was goon on the spot, a second engine of the brigade following drawn by volunteers. Mr Nadghton and several of the police force, with Sergeantmrjor Morrison soon afterwards arrived and also a number of the Rifle and Naval Volunteers, who with many -of the bystanders did good service. An attempt was made to get a suppy of water from the intake, but thia being found impracticable, the supply was obtained from Shortland-street. By this time however the fire had got a firm hold upon the store, which was divided into three compartments, separated by galvanised iron walls, and contained at the time of the fire a large quantity of spiritous liquors, bags of sugar, coffee; tea, &c, which were stored under bondEvery effort was made to confine the fire to the building where it first broke out; and under the orders of the Commissioner of Police, the adjoining store was broken open, and several casks of whiskey and other spirits were Temoved, with the bags of sugar, to a distance from the flames, A carriage which was in the stable under the store was also removed to a place of safety i Considerable danger was felt that the house at the rear of the store iv the occupation of Mr M. Somerville would catch fire, but this fortunately did not take place; The fire however soon spread from the store in which it first broke out to that immediately in front of it towards Fortstreet, and both buildings were destroyed. The flames at this time mounted high into the air, and cast a lurid light over the locality. Finding it impossible to save these two stores, strenuous efforts were made to remove the goods, and a great deal wes saved and the exertions of the fire-brigade, police, volunteers, and bystanders were ultimately rewarded by the fire being got under before it spread beyond these two buildings. At one time however the shells of these two buildings; the roof having fallen in, were so red hotj and such a quantity of sparks were thrown about, that there seemed every probability of the adjoining buildings sharing the same fate. We understand that very little of the property saved was ihsured* The goods belonged to different merchants; and amongst the portion destroyed were some 80 tons of sugar belonging to Mr Robinson, lately imported from Mauritius. The buildings are stated to be insured in the Liverpool and London Insurance officei An inquest will no doubt be held with a view to trace out the origin of the fire.

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"a&iammmmmmmmmmm^mmmmmmaamm ■nn mmwmmmmmammmmmm $he District to the Conference, will preach this evening, in the Wesleyan Church, Bt half-past 7 o'cldck. By the steamer Kennedy which arrived in harbor this morning, we have received a file of the Westport Times, from which we extract pretty freely. A considerable number of nien have within "the past few days, proceeded up the Buller an 1 the Lyell, and others stre expected soon to follow. From a correspondent of ours, who Etccompanies one of the parties, we expect in t, few days to have a full account of what is being done ihthe district, and of the inducements which 'exist for this increase to the population. The party who, with the assistance df a -company of the town's people, have been driving a tunnel at Manuka Flat, have, we Understand, commenced a second tun"nel 60 feet lower in level than the first, and the shareholders have each subscribed other £5 for the prosecution of the work. "— Westport Times. Mr Mackay returned from Ohinemuri in the p.s. Clyde yesterday morning, and has Obliged us (Times and Thames Miners' Advocate, Jan. 1) with the following particulars of his visit: — Te Hira has gone to Mataora, to the Ngataparous, but was not accompanied by armed meu. The rumors to that effect, and also in relation to the "burning of Rapara's whare and the murder ol the native mail- man being false. It is more than probable that he will absent himself from the district until the 'proclamation of the goldfield, b&t that as soon as -this has taken place, he will "continue to go backwards aiid forwards as 'usual, and will not retire to the Upper Waikato. Mr Mackay did not hold any "runanga on this occasion, but was visited 4 by both Mary Kuru and Hobson, in itself •a very favorable and significant circumstance, as, whilst there was any chance of a successful opposition, neither of them would have paid such a visit. They bave adopted quite a different style from that which was theirs a few weeks since, and •have abandoned all their angry reticence. There is undoubtedly a far better feeling 'prevailing amongst the Hauhaus, and ali opposition has practically ceased. There Is "reason to believe that a messenger has been sent through to the King; but it is not likely that he will interfere. The 'steamer got up about 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning, and was taken this time higher up the river than she has ever gone hitherto. Mr Mackay leaves for Coroinandel early this morning, and will thence •proceed to Auckland. On his return, he will again visit Ohinemuri, and complete all the necessary arrangements for throwing open the district to miners. In the Court of Bankruptcy on Oct. 10, Lord Albert Sydney Pelham Clinton applied for his release. The bankrupt, who is a brother of the Duke of Newcastle, appeared in custody from White-cross Prison. He said he had done nothing for four years beyond getting into debt. He had been iv the navy. He owed about £30^000-, principally for money advanced within four years, and had lost it partly by horses-racing and partly at play. He had had about £800 of jewellery, most of torMch he had given away. His income was now £400 a-year. When his father died he had £900 a-ye'ar. That was three years since. He then had £10,000 under the marriage settlement, which he had . paid away. He was now S3 years of age. The young nobleman, who had been ■five weeks in prison at the suit of one -Moses, was released. The same day an application was made for release by Mr Henry Fitzmaurice Chichester, a relative «of the Marquis of Donegal. This bankrupt was also released. The evils joking were painfully illustrated at Bolton, October 14. A T»ookkeeper, named William Brierly, employed by Messrs Day and Raby, builders,

was leaving his masters' yard, and for fun < took 'hold of one of the apprehtices and held him over the wall of a bridge, tinder which, and about 50 feet below the roadway, flows the river Croal. Of course the lad struggled, aud as he did so, Mr Brierley lost his balance, and both man and boy fell over, and were dashed upon 'the stonework which forms the embankment of the stream. So serious were the injuries sustained that Mr Brierly died iv about two houi-s, iind the lad was taken to the infirmary in a veryprecarioscondition. Both his thighs were broken. According to General DeligDy, Deputy■Greneral of Algeria, not less than 500,000 Arabs have died of starvation during the last year. , k