A DISASTROUS FIRE.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 October 1917, Page 5

A DISASTROUS FIRE.

DANNEVIRKE PARTIALLY BURNT OUT. Oct 22. Dannevirke will have good cause to long remember Labour Day of 1917, a most disastrous fire devastating the heart of the commercial area, which is nowr a scene of desolation, only brick Avails and gaunt chimney-stacks indicating Av'iere business places did a flourishing business. The blow to the town is most disastrous, as apart from the structures and stock which perished, hundreds of employees will be workless and great dislocation in business must ensue before the loss can be made good. The fire-bell was to have been given a trial ring at 6.30 p.m., structural alterations having just been but four hours earlier it was given an urgent test or account of an outbreak in Andrews’ Hotel, an immense old Avooden structure situated on the corner .of Hig-n St and Station St., one of the relics of the days when coaches played their part in through trips to Wellington. A westerly gale was blOAving and fanned the flames from the rear of the hotel. Within three minutes the whole of the upper portion Avas Avrapped in flames, licking up greedily eA r erything in their path. The occupants of emplace barely had time to make their exit, and some housemaids had to be rescued from the balconies.

Though the brigade was early at work, their primitive appliances and the gigantic nature of the conflagration made their efforts puny. Within a few minutes the; whole place was a holocaust, and the flames jumped the wide street to the Dannevirke Co-op. Association’s big storehouse opposite Andrews’ and soon this was a roaring inferno, endangering also the Club Hotel, facing the railway station. Fortunately, the wind was blowing away from this, and though in grave danger for a time, it. escaped. Not so the Masonic Hotel, another ancient landmark on side of High St. This caught as the flames from Miller’s shop and soon both sides of the .main...thoroughfare were being demolished .with incredible rapidity. Despite ; the efforts of the fire-fighters, the flames spread .east and west, north and south. The Dannevirke Gas Company’s gasometers on a secton at the rear of the Masonic Hotel were right within the danger zone, the fences ail round being destroyed, but the flames were kept back from the • gasometers. The fire started shortly after : 2 o’clock, and it was well on towards 5 o’clock before it could be said that the Dannevirke and Woodville brigades had got the upper hand, Evefn then the danger was not all over, huge masses of burning debris being visible in all directions. There was no loss of, life, and no serious accidents': Places not far from the scene of the conflagration were salvaged .by. hundreds of onlookers, and it was the busiest Labour Day many of the helpers had ever put in. Furniture, drapery, crockery, —in fact, an unimaginable, collection of articles of all " descriptions, ‘'littcfcd.',.'lthe thoroughfares; the ' highways, and byways', within half a mile froifi tile blaze. Da'hnevirke. has undoubTedly~ received a terrific blow comihercially and an es timate of the loss is absolutely impossible at present, but it will run probably within the vicinity of £200,000 if not more. The places destroyed, all practically a total loss, were as follows: Andrews’ Hotel, Harris and Son ’s livery stables. John P. Engeibretscn, draper; Theodore Wysocke, tailor; Richard Roake, auctioneer; Lee Wong, laundry; Dannevirke Co-op. Association, Ltd.; Arthur Henry Hill, tobacconist; Peter J. Ny

mand, jeweller; Eosse, tailor; Thos. J. Flynn, bootmaker; B. O. Thomsen, hairdresser; Edward E. Prior, chemist; James Neagle, motor importer; Eoso, Ltd., building; John Percival Dodds, music store; Lucy Miller, confectioner; Lionel P. Bartlett, bootmaker'; Drummond, Hodder and Co., ironmongers; George L. Bartlett, hairdresser and tobacconist; C. Hooper, hairdresser and tobacconist; Arthur C. Webber, bookseller; George A. Charman, restauranteur; Malcolm McCallum, watchmaker the Masonic Hotel; Quing Ivee ancTCo. fruiterers; Armstrong and Morrison drapers; the Daunevirke-lierbertvilic, Coaching Co., and Collett and Son’s ironfoundry. In addition to these sam pie rooms and outbuildings of all descriptions added to the flames and even the roadawy took fire. The Dannevirke Co-op. Association were probably the biggest losers. The stock, valued in present prices, was approximately £50,000, while the insurance is about £25,000 This firm employed 70 -hands. Andrews’ Hotel, owned by Messrs Andrews and Mrs was insured, but the amount is unavailable. The Masonic Hotel, owned by the Alardice Estate, was also insured, but details are unknown. Most of the other places were insured, also the stocks, the policies running into many thousands Practically all insurance companies are heavily hit, while the ]r<will be many thousands in excess o*'

insurances. Tavo out of four hotels were burned, three out of four tobacconists, and practically only one grocery business of any size is left. Business must be greatly dislocated. The losses are doubly big on account of, the shops being heavily stocked in the sufferers will Hfe finano ally vicAv of the Christmas trade, Some of ruined.

NO FURTHER OUTBREAK. GALE OP WIND BLOWING. DANNEVIRKE, inis day. All Dannevirke i s busy to-day contemplating the scene of .yesterday’s disastrous blaze. Little remains to add to the message previously sent. The debris burned all night but the 1 fire brigade confined it to the area over Avhich the flames so ravenously SAvept, and despite a gale of Aviud there was no further spread. Nothing remains of AA T hat Avas yesterday morning the centre of the toAvn but bare brick walls tottering chimj ° neys, twisted galvanised iron and charred sticks. A track is cut right thrugh the centre of the town on an angle, the area deA f astated comprising about two to three acres. Steps are being taken by the Mayor, the Chairman of the Dannevirke County Council, the President, of the Chamber of Commerce, and Mr G. Hunter, to organise relief for the sufferers and a special appeal is being made to old Dannevirke residents throughout the country to rally to the aid of Pie sufferers. Most of the representatives of the insurance companies were on the scene of . disaster. Three pilferers of salvage appeared at Court to-day and tAvo of them Averw fined £lO each, and one £5, in default, 14 days’ imprisonment