DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5139, 12 September 1877, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.

One of the most destructive fires that has taken place in Wellington for gome years occurred last night, when the shop and business premises of Mr. Alcorn, the draper, onLambtohqnay, were, with their valuable contents, completely destroyed. Added to this loss of property, was that of life, one of Mr. Alcorn’s children perishing in the flames. The premises which have been burned were well known to people in Wellington, and consisted of a two-storied building running back some distance from the street, and a large and lofty show-room of one story, lighted by a capacious lantern at the rear. The buildings were composed of corrugated iron and wood, and the shop took up the whole of the ground-floor of that in front, the first-floor being used as a dwelling-house by Mr. Alcorn and his family. ■ The fire broke out with moat alarming suddenness. When the business portion of the premises was closed at six o’clock in the even- . ing everything was safe and apparently free from danger. At about ten minutes past eight o’clock some persons passing noticed smoke, sparks, and small jets of flame issuing from the roof and cornice which ran along the front of the building. Almost at the same moment Mrs. Alcorn, who was sitting in the front room with five of her children, was alarmed by her servant rushing into the room and crying that the shop was on fire. Mrs. Alcorn’s sixth child, a boy of three years of age, was sleeping in a room towards the rear, and his mother made a desperate effort to reach and rescue him, but was beaten back by a perfect mass of smoke and flame, which came driving into the whole front of the building, and compelled her to seek safety for herself and remaining children on the

verandah, which they reached through the first-floor window. She was so pressed here by the advancing flames that she had to throw one of the children—a baby—to the people who had by this time gathered below, and she and the other children were quickly got to ground in their turn. Such was her natural terror and distraction under the circumstances that she and her family were separated for some time, Mrs. Alcorn herself and her baby finding temporary refuge at Mr. Willeston’s, the tobacconist, and the children being conveyed by kindly hands to Mr. Coker’s Occidental Hotel, where they were immediately cared for. Subsequently the family was reunited, but only to find that one was missing, the child whom Mrs. Alcorn was unable to rescue. Mr. Alcorn himself was from home when the fire began, and, returning only in time to hear that his little son was supposed to be in the now completely burning house, was with difficulty restrained from plunging into the flames. The scene was of a very sad description, and added to the customary excitement attending upon the- occurrence of a great fire. In the meantime the persons who, as has been mentioned, first noticed smoke and flames emerging from the roof, had given the alarm, and the Arabella ringing out, both brigades and a great crowd of. spectators were quickly on the spot. The Central Brigade, whose station is but a stone’s throw from the seat of the conflagration, were the first to put in an appearance, but, the promptness with which, the Wellington Brigade came up was the theme of general praise. At this moment, unfortunately, one of those accidents happened which so frequently prevent a quickly applied effort precluding much subsequent damage. Several lines of hose had been coupled up, and the water had been set well to play upon the burning building, when jnst as it seemed that the fire might be got under before the whole of the premises and stock were destroyed, the water stopped flowing, and for fully five minutes the firemen, were compelled to stand idly by, watching, whilst the flames, which by this time had broken through the roof and sides in several places, roared and spread over the whole building, threatening two closely adjoining shops with destruction, and completely enveloping the showroom at the rear, from the lantern root of which a perfect volume Of: flame rushed up to a great height, illuminating the houses along the Terrace, which rims above it, and lighting up a large portion of the town. At this time the scene was a most exciting one. There was a very large crowd on Lambton-quay in front of the fire, and the Terrace was thickly lined with onlookers. The firemen stood idle perforce on the street, and some who had climbed to the roofs of the adjoining buildings, and had penetrated to the rear, dragging their hose after them, were compelled to stand still useless whilst the flames increased, and shouts and cries went up from the bystanders, it seeming to everyone as if the conflagration must presently reach an extent at which it would be difficult, if not impossible, to stop it without many buildings besides those of Alcorn’s. being destroyed. But after a most painful interval the-water supply came on at its full pressure, and in an incredibly short space of time the brigades, working with wonderful unanimity at .every point and vantage ground, had the flames under control, and the magnificent supply of water which has fortunately been provided for this city was appreciated at its proper value. Aided by its volume and force, the firemen, with a skill, bravery, and energy that' can scarcely be spoken too highly of, had their enemy soon at a disadvantage, and before half-past nine o’clock all danger was past, and the fire was not only prevented from spreading beyond the premises in which it originated, but was reduced to a blackened, steaming mass of cinders. There was, fortunately, a brick wall between Alcorn’s and Mr. Luhning’s, the tobacconist, the next adjoining building on the southern side, that towards which the wind blew the flames; but there was no such protection in thei case of Mr. Gamble’s, the tailor, whose shop was on the northern side. In both cases, however, no injury was done beyond that caused by the hasty removal of the goods from either shop. So soon as ever the state of the ruins permitted it search made for the body of the poor little child which had perished, and at ten minutes past eleven o’clock the remains were found by Captain Whiteford and Mr. Nelson, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, and were conveyed to the engine station of the Central Fire Brigade, where they lie awaiting the inquest, which will be held as soon as possible. The origin of the fire of course it is impossible to guess at this moment. Though its great outbreak, so to speak, was most sudden, it is only reasonable to suppose that such a volume of flame must have had a considerable time to gather. In other words, by the time the alarm was given—that is to say, by the time the fire was first observed, it must have had a pretty fair period in which to have gathered strength. This of course will point to the conclusion that the fire must have been either smouldering unobserved during the day and acquired strength after ahutting-np hour, or that some unnoticed cause had just sprung into origin at the time Mr. Alcorn’s was closed. There seems little doubt, however, as to the locality in which the fire commenced. All observation points to the upper story. It was difficult to ascertain up to the time of going to press the exact amount of insurances on the stock and building, but the following is an approximate estimate ; —On the building— Phcenix, £6OO ; South British, £IOOO, On stock—Transatlantic, £2OOO ; Standard, £SOO. It is said that the stock was also insured in the Norwich Union and Imperial Companies, , but the amounts are not known. Insurances on the stock had been for some time current in the New Zealand and National Companies, but they were permitted to lapse lately.