THE LATE FIRE AT PALMERSTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5215, 8 December 1877, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LATE FIRE AT PALMERSTON.

The Manawatu Times of the 28th ult. gives the following particulars of the recent fire at Palmerston :

Yesterday occurred in Palmerston the most disastrous fire that we have yet had to chronicle in connection with this place, and which resulted in the total demolition of Mr. J. H. Snelson's premises, and serious injury to Mr. Warburton's chambers. The fire, which broke out about 10 o'clock on the premises of Mr. Snelson, was probably occasioned by a spark from the fireplace. Some of the furniture ignited, an alarm was given, and with assistance from Mi 1 . Waburton's office the fire was apparently extinguished. About twenty minutes after the alarm subsided flames were observed to be issuing through the roof. A crowd of people were soon on the ground busily engaged in removing the stock and furniture. All hope of saving the building, however, was soon at an end, and as the flames burst through through the lower story and the timbers began to fall through, the house and' contents were abandoned to their fate. Every effort was now concentrated upon Mr. Warburton's chambers, the eastern wall of which was within fifteen or twenty feet of the flaming edifice. One after another the brave volunteers mounted the roof, regardless of the smoke and heat, to receive the wet blankets and the water buckets as they were handed up. Below an indescribable scene of confusion prevailed. Nearly a hundred busy workers were engaged at the back of the buildings, some carrying out the contents of the office, some running to and fro with water and wet blankets ; a dozen willing arms wielded axe3 in labored efforts to remove the out-buildings, and so cut off communication between the fire and Mr. Warburton's dwelling-house; numbers were engaged in carrying away the dissevered timbers. The water was supplied from two wells, one at the back of Mr. Snelson's, and one in the yard of a cottage still further back. The confusion that fh-3t prevailed in the exhausting work of running to and fro with buckets soon gave place to orderly method. A line of men was formed from the well to the building and up the stairs to the dormer-window, from whence the buckets were passed to the roof. The greatest efforts were made to save the eastern wall, which was in momentary danger, and indeed caught fire in several places. The heat on that part of the roof was most intense ; yet several of our townsmen mounted to the post of danger. Mr. West first occupied the position leaning over the gable to dash the water along the charred and smoking wood-work. Mr. Jorgensen, of Stoney Creek, then mounted astride the extreme gable, and, with a wet blanket draped over his head, fronted the great wall of flame that roared within a few feet of him. He occupied this perilous position until the aggression of the flames had been overcome. Just beneath him on the roof were Messrs. West and Collard, and next to them Messrs. Cleaver and Blakesley and two or three others, whose names we failed to ascertain. Inside, too, in the upper story, was a small party consisting of Messrs. Moore, Peranni, Walsh, and one or two others, drenching with water the inside of the smoking wall. Finding that, despite their efforts, there was every prospect of the wall bursting into flame, they knocked out some half-dozen of the weatherboards so as to command the outer surface. The rush of smoke and heat that came through this opening upon them made their position almost untenable. Still they held to the work, and to these two little bands of workers, aided by the bucket carriers and those in charge of the well, the saving of the building is due. Mr. Mackay was, we believe, one of the first upon the scene, and aided materially in the removal of effects. We noticed all the familiar entities of the place working with axe or bucket, as perhaps some of them never worked before. Were we to mention all the names that are deserving of mention, our task would be a long one. Suffice it to say that every man put forth his bent energies, and the fact that Mr. Warburton's place was saved is a credit to the burgesses of this place. Mr. Warburton's premises sustained considerable damage in the successful efforts made to save them. Mr. Snelson's place was insured as follows : South British, £4OO ; Liverpool and Globe, £IOSO ; Victoria, £3OO. Total, £1750.