TREMENDOUS FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1064, 25 July 1883, Page 3

TREMENDOUS FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

BURN THE UNION INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED.; (pick press association.) AUCKLAND, This day. At three o’clock this morning the fire bells rang out the alarm, and it was at once seen from the fact that the whole eastern sky was lit up, that a very serious fire was raging at Mechanics Bay. It was proved to be Union Sash and Door Company’s building. The building is;an immense wooden pile, standing on the reclaimed land abutting ondhe sea. There were no horses available to take the fire engines to the scene and the consequence was that the firemen had to drag the engines through the mud and rain arriving on the scene of the fire completely exhausted. The Salvage Corps under Capt. Field speedily followed the Fire Brigade men. ’ As soon as possible a hose was laid on from,, a'pump in Stanley street and taken across the street towards the burning factory; hut there were great complaints of the insufficient supply of hose owing, to the distance, arid the consequence was that the. fire crossed the. roadway and ignited -the’stacked' timber which was speedily in a sheet of flames. Superintendent Hughes and his men did all in their power with the miserable: resources at their command and succeeded in keeping the fire within the limits of the factory and Umber yards allowing it to burn itself out within these limits, this being all they could do under the circumstances. The brilliant blaze from the burning kauri and pine illuminated the whole city. A fierce north-easter carried immense clouds of sparks down the railway embankment, and fears were entertained for the safety of the Company’s joinery stores, where doors, sashes, window frames, and all the finer kinds of manufactured woodware are kept, also for the kerosene bonded store a short distance off, and had that taken fire, it is hard to say what the consequences would have been. Fortunately the huge railway embankment acted as a screen and protection to both buildings, which being constructed of galvanised iron were less subjected to risk of being set on fire by falling sparks. These, however, fell in dense masses among the houses on the slopes of Official Bay and Alton road, and alarm was felt in case an outbreak should occur in consequence, fortunately the rain which was falling at the time averted the danger. Owing to the direction of the wind the offices of the Company were saved, but the whole of the stabling accommodation and residences of the carters who lived there were burned. The origin of the fire is unknown, but from the suddenness with which it burst foith immediately after the breaking of glass, as stated below, the watchman is of opinion that the fire was not accidental. Mr Creer, one of the watchmen employed on the premises, made the following statement : —There are two nightmen employed on the premises, each having separate divisions, with “ tell-tales ” in each section to act as a check on them. My round was in the tower division/ At a quarter to three o’clock this morning I heard a sound of glass breaking near the breaking down machinery. I went to ascertain the cause and immediately a sheet of flame burst out. I immediately called out to Quinlan, the other watchman, and gave the [alarm and he came and got the hose ready and in work while I ran to ring the bell. There was a gale and the ringing could not bo heard any distance. Some delay arose in getting help. Mr Holland, a painter at Parnell, ;i passed the building in a cab about twenty minutes to 3, and saw no indications bfifire. He states that when the cab got to Alton road he saw the flames suddenly burst out. He immediately drove to Wakefield street fire bell and rang it. ■ Following is a list of the insurances NeW Zealand Co., £IOOO ; National, £4OO. The South British holds a policy of £SOOO, of which £3OOO is re-insured in small offices, among which are the New Zealand, £3soNorth British, £SOO ; United, £250 ; Victoria, £250 ; London and Lancashire, £SOO ; Union, £l5O ; ; Nor-, them, £4OO. The total insurances are £7300, but the loss is very considerably greater. A large number of ! workmen are thrown out of employment.