Disastrous Fire in Apia.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 15, 12 January 1889, Page 2

Disastrous Fire in Apia.

SEVEN LAUfJE BriMtdNOS BURNER EIGHT OTHER BUILDINGS DESTROYED TO PREVENT THE FIRE SPREADINGLOSS OF *IOO,OOO WORTII OF PROPERTY. One of the most destructive fires ever witnessed in Apia occurred at a little before 1 o'clock on Wednesday morning last. Property to the value of sloo*ooo was destroyed in about 2 hours. The flames were first observed issuing from the kitchen of the German Consulate. The kitchen was at>out 4 feet from the verandah of the main building which soon caught ftro nud increased in force rapidly. Lieut. Fillctte and fonr or five men from the guard at the U. S. Consulate were early on the ground. They went to work at once and were assisted by a few citizens who happened to lie about the locality. The occupants of the premises in the vicinity were immediately aroused. The guard from the German firm also soon made their appearance. Immediately followed a number of men from the tj.'S.S. Nipsic and from H. M. S. Royalist, bringing with them their* fire migiuvs and W«e which done immense sercic». Both officers (leaving their swords aside) and men joined -together iu the work of saving property. Then came men fromT-'tha German warships in harbor, but on account of the troubled state of Samoan affairs and probably thinking that tho fire was occasioned by souio of Mata- j alVs people they brought their arms with them, which considerably hampered their action. The Consulate Was a large'two-«toiry building and created an immense blaM, which ■ooii estendud to the adjoining booses on both aides. Mr, Rosenlip«y, and as this was tWls* j*gj»_j»» wt#^M All -iiospitat- to oro-^

■■aaasMnr ju jsp .a. il._i ■■■ ■. . to«d which fortunattdy did n«t oc. par there, but on the west side the / C«r*ml Hotel and Sue's, store, "both Urge two-storied bnfldiniis, were also in flames, In the meantime tlio tire which was banting most fiercely in. the four large . buildings mentioned •created a great blase, the henb and sparks reaching across the street (a diatanco of only at-dut 30 or 40 : feet from house to house) to T)r. Knapped tine residence and Messrs. j Grevsmuhl and Co.'s largo store. | Those buildings wore soon enveloped | in flames, aa was also the native church on the same tide, all of ; which were entirely consumed. Good work was in the meantime; 'being done by the American, ling-! lish, and a few of the German men of war, who were ably assisted by the townspeople. Several small buildinge were torn down, including i the old police court and Mr. Nelson's premises. This was done to i prevent the fire from extending to ; •Mr. Parker's two-storey building. Here the American and Knglish ■ sailors with other assistance did great service. Long ladders were provided andplftced t6 fl!!<W the : men to reach the roof; the hose i branch was brought to bear on the building. A plentiful supply or water was kept pouring on the roof, i and walls of the large store, and i unquestionably it is through their indomitable pluck and perseverance. j that Mr. Purker's house wns saved. Had the fire not been stayed here the whole of the buildings on both sides to the westward would most probably have been consumed. Other parties' were busy chopping away Hie studs of the old jail, in- . tending to pull down the building to make a, gap to prevent the fire from spreading to the Occidental Hotel, on the other side of th<; street, but the fire was stayed be. lore it reached that distance. Th> jail house will now have to come down, too much damage being don > j for a useful repair. Several of th • other small building which we're ' in course of destruction are-ais in a hail stute, but, can be repairec*. . Quite a, number of. native house and other small buildings at th ' back of the native church were als) ; demolished. Fortunately theie wo.* j no wind blowing at the time. If a strong breeze had sprung up at any time during the fire nothing could have saved the. whole street. "The sight of the fire from the sea \va artfully magnificierit. All theshipj in the harbor could be seen nearly ; as clearly.as in the daylight. The j fiautes on account of the cu'm night f ascending upwards nearly in •) straight line, and" the smoke an I I vapour forming an almost stationary j cloud. On again visiting the scon* j next morning we found the debris Still burning. The lime walls ofl the native church were hanging in a shattered condition; every part of timber connected with it, even the door jams wpre burned away. The strong room, a brick structure, in Messrs. Grevsimihl and Co.'s store was still standing, and innumerable pieces of tramway iron and sheet-iron and tanks twisted into all' sorts of shapes, and all round the vicintv of the firs up-

peared a complete wreck, >\»il the business people for souk; distance round why had removed the valuables the night before were getting them returned. No doubt a considerable loss will be smtaincd by breakage.), etc., by this very necessary precaution. It is not necessary to particularize the names of our citizens who gave their willing help to save property. Almost everybody did their "best. All worked with a will. Axes and bucket* were passed out of % r!ie htorrs and made good uno of and llataafa had hia polioeman a few hundred yards away all round tho'burning "built lings to prevent any pilfering. Some of Matualu's, policemen expressed a willingness fn rentier assistance, but did not like to do so on account of tho Gertnnn bailors on shore. We are glad to have to place nn record that very little properly if any has been lost by theft. We havo diligently made enquiries in the origin of tho fire, and find that the flames were first seen ' Spuing out of the kitchea of the j Otxmau Consulate. The cook, who fa a Chinaman, it supposed to have foU charge of the place, but we find that eevend foreign labor boys have ftao ncourse to tne kitchen, and 4* learn that soma of their friends are' 4

us towOn several occasions cooking tm been cwrisd.gn" there at fee j horns' of ttio night. TJtßf^w^l] stove in the kitchen. We are sattstied it is by tlia negligence or carelessness of" some of the above parties which caused the disastrous destruction of property on Wednesday morning last. We can only as yet give an approximate estimate of the total loss by the late (ire. 'Wo'believe it to be fully 15100,000. Messrs. Grovsrauhl and Co/a stores and contents would be about 840,000. AhSoe's loss in about 89,000; the Central Hotel about 86,000, and the Com snlate, Dr. Khappe's residence aud Mr. Kosenberg's store, which bolonjged to the Deutsche Handels & Plrfnsidos the damages sustained by pulling down the Court House, Mr. Nelson's cottage, and the wrecking of several other dwellings would fully make up the balance to 8100,000. We do not know .whether the Consulate and Dr. Knappe's house were insured. Air. Rosenberg's store nnd contents wore fairly well cove'vr-! by insurance.' Messrs. On-ve-lMuhl and CV had a.policy on their property we k'lieve of 81-i,oot>. Ah Sue was not insured. We may bo able to supply more information next issue. The stoek saved from Mr. Rosenberg's store was sold on Wednesday l>v auction, a-id was boughl; by thej agents Of 'the Insurance Company; tiie Deutsche Handels and Pentagon Gc&llscfyjft for t.!ie suiii -»f $1,195. Mew*." Grevsmuhl and Co. '••'•■' cd a little of their stock which was removed yesterday to oth •:• premises belonging to the lirm.