BROKEN HILL FIRE EXCITING SCENES. THIEVES AND PICKPOCKETS AT WORK.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 318, 21 November 1888, Page 3

BROKEN HILL FIRE EXCITING SCENES. THIEVES AND PICKPOCKETS AT WORK.

A terrible calamity has befallen Broken Hill. A few ininufces before 6 o'clock on the evening of M'6nday, ' sfch ins't., a fire broke out in Victoria'€hambers, Argenb street. It was soon seen that the fire had hold of the premises on the western side of the street, and it was apparent that the whole of a block 200 yards long was in imminent danger. The only hope lay in the speedy isolation of the fire, and the firemen went to work with a will to pull down buildings on either side, but these were of flimsy construction, and the fire gained too rapidly for their efforts to be successful. Within halt an houi from the outbreak the flames had asserted possession of the southern part of the block, and under the influence of a southerly wind they proceeded victoiiously on their destructive course northwards. Most of the buildings in Argentstieet are flimsy and inflammable, and on the west side only one stoqe structure, known as Elliotts Hotel, 'stoo'd in the way of the flames. By 6 o'clock, nearly the whole population were in Argent-street. They were in a frantic state, > and much confusion" 'ertsiied. People came rushing out of stores and'offices on the doomed side of the street, carrying all manner of gooas. Some rash individuals were seen on the roois oi buildings wildly endeavouring to strip off corrugated iron sheets, while the flames advanced dangerously, leaping from one adjoining building to another, the dry timber of which was mostly composed of mallee, suitable food for the fire. Sheets of corrugated iron cracked and curled uplike wafers. The sight when the whole street was in a blaze was very grand, and the utter futility of the attempts to suppress the flames were at once apparent. The supply of water was utterly inadequate, even for ordinary* purposes. The town next day presented a most forlorn appearance. The buildings from the Post-office northwards to the corner opposite" the Broken Hill Hotel had been clean swept by' the fire, and nothing was to be seen but a few chimneys, heaps of twisted and scotched galvanised iron. The block destroyed measured about 300 yards in length ' by 80 ydrds in breadth. Of Elliotts Hotel no.thing was left but the walls. About 60 business places fronting the main 'street'havebeen destroyed. The following are a few of the losses sustained, and the insurances effected : — Laybourne Smith, chemist, £1,500, insured for 500; Ford and Callaghan, £8,000, injured for £3,000 ; Lorrain and Frodd, loss £150 ; Knight, tailor, £150. He was insured for a similar sum, but allowed the policy to lapse four days ago. Kuntz, tobacconist, £1,000, insured for £300 ; Trelloarand Co., drapers, insurance £6 500 ; Wight and and Co., news agents, £800, insurance £300 ; Way Lee, '£800, insurance £200 ; Elliotts Hotel, insured in the Imperial for £1,500, and in the Phcenix for £300 ;• Sandei's, draper, insured for £850. The value of the stock destroyed was £1,250. W. U. Peace, butcher, has lost; about £250, and is not insui'ed. W, O'Connor, auctioneer, was burned out, and is not insured. Barnet and Harris lost £800 of property, andafe not insured. J. Stewart, fancy goods, stock worth £700, not insured. The salvage is not great. A good deal of theft was practised during the fire, and though the police did all they could, their force was so small in eompaiison with that; of the thieves that they were not able to «xert much control. Sixty special constableswere sworn in, and did good service. A great number of cas-s of pocket-picking occuired during the ', excitement. Long before the fire reached some shops the crowd amused themselves with breaking the windows and doing other useless and destructive work. The dress of one woman at Elliotts Hotel, who was escaping from the flames, caught fire, and ahe fainted, but she was seen by tbe'fireman, and was ultimately rescued without serious injury.