DISASTEROUS FIRE AT ELTHAM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 9 July 1907, Page 2

DISASTEROUS FIRE AT ELTHAM

DAjMAGE ESTIMATED AT £OOOO. block: of shops destroyed. Tile wonted peace of early Sunday morning was rudely broken yesterday by iiu outbreak in the centre of the town of a lire which quickly assumed seriom dimensions (says the Elthnm Argus). The origin of the blaze Bee.ua to have fceen in or near the shop of Mrs J. Adams, fruiterer, in High street,, liie morning was wet and very dark. At about 5.45 tongues of llame penetrated tile windows of Mi's Adams' shop, and in an incredibly short time lie building was enveloped. Mr Potts, licensee of tile Branch Hotel, was wakened by the shivering of the windows of the burning shop on the street, and, hastily dressing, ho went over the road ■did knocked up those sleeping in premises adjoining. The alarm was given by Messrs J. and W. Potts, and fireman F. McDonald, who was on watcii at the station, was aroused. Meanwhile. the niglUwatchman (Mr' Jones) had got the reel out, the hydrant wis quickly fixed, the hose run out, and the iirst lead was ready a few minutes after the bell rang. By this time the premises in which the lire started were demolish-

Ed, and the llames were attacking the two-storey building occupied by Mrs Hennessy nnd the Misses Cowcus and Cave, while Mr Davidson's drapery shop opposite.was also threatened, it blew a regular gale, and the wind was northerly and carried llame and smoke light tip High street. The heat on the windward side of the fire was very great, and it was as much as tile firemen, covering themselves with tarpaulins and sheets, could stand. Certainly the efleetiveness of their operations wsib hampered by their inability to light the Haines at close quarters. Telegraph wires were melted and broken, and vattied down on the street; paint on all

the adjoining premises was blistered, and windows were cracked &nd (brok )3. Hie only factor operating in favor <.f the brigade was the rain, which provented the showers of sparks from being dangerous to other buildings. Attention was then directed to the blazing buildings in High street. At this period the brigade was using five hoses j and three hydrants, including one belonging to the Borough Council. There was a lead between the Excelsior drapery store and Mrs Adams's, and a hydrant at the block opposite the Athenaeum, towards which the flames were sweeping, and which seemed doomid. Indeed, it seemed possible that the Phoenix stables would also be burnt down. A lead was taken to the back of Mr Dison's (blacksmithing shop to beat down the bluze which threatened to sweep round it, and another was operated from the front o£ the shop. A hydrant was also worked from the intersection of the two streets, and water was poured from another lead on a shed at tlw back of Mr. Oresswell's premises in which kerosene was stored. The shed

was saved, When Captain Nuttall arrived lie found that too many leads were in use for the supply of water, and reduced the number .to two, with two hydrants, a third hydrant being placed below the. Athenaeum in caac of emergency. The water pressure was then satisfactory. At this time (about G-30) the blaze was at its fiercest and the wind was strongest. There was then a lull in the gale, and the firemen seemed for the first time to be more than holding their own. Mrs Hennessy's stock of sugar, whieli blazed furiously and gave out a great heat, seemed to have been consumed, and hopes of success in the stern unremitting warfare with the fiery element seemed brighter. Xlie wind rose again, however, and burning 'fragments from Miss Robb's shop were liurlod against Mrs Lewis' premises, the back of which caught. The flames licked up everything before them, and the corrugated iron roof crumpled up like so much paper, tinging the flames a dedicate blue. The effect was lurid. Mill- (1- Payne's premises next door, used as a jeweller's shop, next caught. Tho heat became unendurable,and tho crowd which had gathered on the opposite side, of the street scattered in all directions. in the meantime axes had been plying in Mr J. Dixon's blacksmithiug shop, the parapet had been demolished, and the wall facing tho street dragged away by means of a rope. This move vkis a tactical success, and as a result, tho brigade was able finally to -subdue the Haines. Advantage was taken of the space of two or three yards bet ween'Mr i Dixon's shop and the Athenaeum to run a hose round the back of the building, and water was poured through a window on to Mr J. Walker's shop, which was now on lire. The back of Mr Walker's shop was saved, and Mr Dixons premises, though gutted, were not de-J molished. By 8.15 the fire was praeli-

cally subdued, but the ruins continued to smoulder and burnt nil day, despite a fairly persistant rain, and tl>e hose had to be brought into .play onee fr twice. ' i The following is a list of the premises destroyed:— Mrs J. Adams' fruit shop. Mr tt. Parker's dental rooms above. Mrs W. Hennessy's lolly shop and pianoforte agency. Mr L. T. Cresswell's general store. Mr W. Grogan's dwelling attached. Misses Cowens' and Cave's dressmaking' rooms above. Misses Robb's drapery and art "needleworkshop. Mrs Lewis' fruit shop.

.Hr 11. 6, l'ayne's jewellery shop. Mr J. Walker's saddler's shop, iMr J. Dixon's blacksmithing shop. In saving the Athenaeum the liremen accomplished a feat of "which they may well be proud; to all appearance it was for a lime absolutely doomed. There was only one factor in favor of the brigade, the rain which fell, and which minimised the danger of other buildings catching lire from Hying sparks. The wind rendered ell'ective lire-fighting di(lieult, but-in one sense it was in the

right direction. Had it Mown towards JSridgc street the lire would have swept right down the town, and where it would have stopped is a matter best left to tlio imagination. As things were, tiie Economic at the corner had a narrow escape; had it gone, the Argus ofliee would have been doomed, and the five would have llad an excellent chance of devastating a largo portion of the town. There were It firemen present out of a nominal strength of fifteen. A number of cuts and bruises were sustained by the firemen, Jmt, fortunately, there was no serious accideut. A number of people were sleeping on the premises that were destroyed. Mr and Mrs Ileimessy were first in the

street, and they were followed liy the Lewis family. Mr and Mrs Grogan were also wakened, and Mr and Mrs Payne were roused by Mr Potts. Tile most alarming experience wa? that which befel Miss Robb. She slept all too soundly for the occasion, and woke 10 iind tongues of flame darting' past lior windows. She had time to save nothing. The occupiers farther on had more leisure, and Messrs Payne, Walker, and J)ixon, assisted by willing' helpers,, were able to remove more <■]• U'ss of their stock. The origin of the fire .is unknown, '.tile nigiitwatchman passed and inspected Jlrs Adams' shop at 5.35, and looked in at ihe windows which command every room except one. Further, Mrs -Mains is eel-tain that she left 110 lire on tile premises. A rough estimate places the loss :,t CIiOOW, over X-OUO on the buildings and the remainder on ilie stock. So far j,b

can he ascertained about .C3OUO is covcivil Uy insurance. The lullowiii'' .;ro the details: — On (lie two-storey building owned by Mr U. P. Wake.. :C7OO in tan Alliance OJlice. Airs .Ucnuessy lmd .CISO on the stock and ell'eds iu the C'onnner;i.tl Liuf.ii. Tile otlier occupiers, Sirs Adam.-, (loss ,es;l), Misses Cowcns ;iud Cave (loss .C3O), and ]\lr Parker were uninsured. On (lie buildings owned by Mr )|. Manners (New J'lynioulh) .C2OO in ihe l'hoenix. Mr Oessweil liad (MOO oil j

slock in tlx' Norlliern ami .C 250 in tlio I Liverpool ami (fJobc, Jlr Gro«an ;CI2O on fiii-nili#* and'olVccts in tin- Hov.il, I Jlisses L'ohli Oil stock in 'llie Koyal, ami Mrs Lewis ;Cl5O on sto.d; in Uic lloynJ. On Ilia slock Sir Payne Jnm '£loo in the jVllianee, and £73 011 liis furniture ami oll'ects in tln> Now Zealand- Tlio owner of the building is supposed to ho, a llawer.i lady. Mr Walker lu« .CISO 011 stock in tlio Northern. Mr Dixon lias Eldll on slock in die Royal, and CIOO 011 the building iu llu: i same olliw. '