THE RECENT FIRE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5683, 17 June 1879, Page 2

THE RECENT FIRE.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS,

The origin of the great fire nr Sunday night is accounted for by the theory of the iron gas-pipes connected with the star in the ceutre of the ceiling having become heated, and communicated its heat to the surrounding wood work". This is the most reasonable explanation of the mystery that we have yet heard advanced, more espicially taking into consideration the fact that the star had been lighted for about ten hours on .Saturday, during which time the wood work might have caught fire and smouldered until it finally burst forth on Sunday evening. Of course this is all supposition, but it certainly appears to be an explanation the least open to doubt. The three men whom we mentioned as being inside the Opera House when the fire broke out were engaged in fitting up scenery, and they first noticed the fire break out in the upper portion of the building. The custodian of the Opera House, Mr. Gorman, worked hard in the endeavor to save the property of the company, at the same time neglecting his own. Amongst his other losses were £25 in bank notes.

At the ruins of the branch Bank of Hew Zealand, the strong room was opened yesterday afternoon, and the boxes, &c., inside were found to be all right, with the exception of some slight damage caused by smoke having got into the room. Amongst the documents were some valuable deeds belonging to the estate of the late Hon. W. B. Rhodes. Inside the strong room was one of Milner’s patent safes, and in this the cash and valuables were found to be uninjured by fire though discolored by the smoke. Mr. Warburton, manager of this branch of the Bank of New Zealand, has succeeded in obtaining temporary premises at Falconer's furniture store, Courteuay-place, opposite Black’s coach factory, where the banking business will be carried on for the present. We find we were in error in reference to the Wesleyan Church being uninsured, neither were we correct in our supposition that the risk was secured in a special fund, established amongst the Wesleyan body for such purposes. Such a fund is proposed "to be established, but the proposal has not yet been matured. Insurances had been effected upon the church and schoolroom to the amount of about £2700, while the total value of the property destroyed is estimated at nearly £7OOO. A very large amount of property was saved from the burning buildings, goods of all descriptions being stacked in the streets in charge of the Fire Police. A large amount of petty pilfering was done, and several individuals were yesterday punished at the Resident Magistrate’s Court for this despicable offence.' Several amusing instances are reported of furniture getting mixed, aud owners being unable to recognise their several goods and chattels, but these were rare occurrences, as can readily be supposed. Amongst the salvage were twenty-two valuable horses, which were take* from the Nag’s Head stables when that building was threatened. Mr. McCarthy, who took over Mace and Arkell’s business, sustained severe losses in his malting and bottling stores, his losses being estimated, we believe, at something like £3000; whilst a large number of others, whose premises were contiguous to the scene of the fire, must have sustained severe losses by the removal of their furniture and goods. With reference to the work of saving Te Aro House we have received two letters, one of which appears elsewhere, correcting remarks of ours, which led to the inference that this building was saved by the efforts of members of the Naval Brigade. We are ever ready to give “ honor where honor is due,” and are only too willing to render to the employes of Te Aro House all credit for the noble exertions they made in saving their employer’s property. Our remarks were written under a slight misapprehension of the real facta of the case. We are glad to learn that Dr. Diver is again about to move in the Council concerning the purchase of a steam floating fire-engine, he having yesterday given in notice of motion upon the subject. The motion now includes the purchase of a land engine besides the floating one above referred to, and the experiences of Sunday night sufficiently prove the necessity which exists for some such step being taken. The work of removing the debris from the streets so that the traffic should not be impeded, was effected at an early hour yesterday, and the street trams and other conveyances were plying as usual during the day. The ruins had not entirely ceased to burn, but the several copious showers of rain which fell during the day would materially lessen the danger of the fire breaking out afresh. We are glad to learn that the report of a man having lost his life amongst the ruins of the Opera House was without foundation. An inquest will shortly be held touching the origin of the fire, but the date has not yet been decided upon. The following is a complete and reliable list of the various insurances effected ; Transatlantic Insurance Company : £ a. d. £ s, d. Opera House .. .. 1000 0 0 Stratford, store .. .. 300 0 0 Pirie, building .. .. 600 0 0 Graves & Fleming, stock .. 1200 0 0 South Britjsu Insurance Company : Opera House .. .. 500 0 0 ~ fittings .. 500 0 0 Engleraan, stock .. .. 300 0 0 Graves & Fleming, building 500 0 0 ~ „ stock .. 250 0 0 Jamieson & Co., building.. 300 9 0 Ashton & J aoob, stock .. 300 0 0 New Zealand Insurance Company : Opera House .. .. 1250 0 0 McCarthy, malt house .. 300 0 0 Graves & Fleming, building 500 0 0 Koval Oak .. .. .. 250 0 0 Williams and Catperon .. 200 0 0 Standard Insurance Company .. 2,600 0 0 Union Insurance Company : Marryatt 200 0 0 Wesleyan Church .. .. 500 0 0 Hickman, boot shop .. 100 0 0 Scott, ironmonger . - .. 300 0 0 Brown, furniture dealer—- . buildings, stock, tools .. COO 0 0 Eddie & Jack, stock .. 450 0 0 Imperial OperaHouso .. 250 0 0 Victoria Insurance Company. Nag’s Hoad 600 0 0 Graves & Fleming, stock.. 750 0 O McCarthy 210 0 O National Insurance Company. Eddie & Jack and Working Men’s Club .. .. 600 0 0 Wesleyan Church .. .. 250 0 0 Hickman 100 0 O Scott 250 0 0 Opera House 250 0 0 Colonial Insurance Company. Opera House .. .. 500 0 0 Pirie, building .. .. 250 0 0 ~ stock .. .. .. 250 0 0 Graves & Fleming, stock .. 250 0 0 Eddie & Jack, shop .. 200 0 0 „ stock .. 200 0 0 1050 0 0 Less re-insnrance .. .. 250 0 0 North British: Opera House.. .. .. 750 6 0 Williams, Cameron, & Co. 500 0 Hanseatic : Graves & Fleming .. .. 500 0 0 Opera House 500 0 0 McClelland, shop .. 100 0 0 London and Lancashire : Eddie & Jack, stock .. 150 0 0 „ building .. 300 0 0 Wesleyan Church .. .. 250 0 0 Scott, stock 250 0 0 Hoyal Insurance Company : Emeny, furniture .. .. 300 0 0 buildings •> 100 0 0 Graves & Fleming, stock .. 500 0 0 Eddie & Jack, building ~ 250 0 0 Northern Assurance : McClelland, building .. 250 0 0 Plimmer, Reeves, building 300 0 0 Contingent losses .. .. 150 0 0 Imperial: Wesleyan Church .. .. 500 0 0 Hamburg, Magdeburg : Working -Men's Club .. 500 0 0 Guardian Insurance Company : Eddie & Jack .. .. 300 0 0 Norwich Union : Building next Wesleyan Church 160 0 0 Contingent losses ~ .. 100 0 0 Sun Insurance Company .. .. 175 0 0 Manchester Insurance Company 160 0 0 Total £24,485 0 0 Messrs. Wtittem, Nicholson, and Co., local agents for the Transatlantic Company, write us to say that two-thirds of the losses of the company they represent are covered by reinsurances in Home offices.