THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 43, 10 February 1908, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRE.

ddiaij.* uj- TiiK max. Tei' l'ress Association. ClirWlchureh, Last Night. The subjoined lists give detail* ol' the net risks ileld by llif various in*umiK.*i| cumxmnil** over the ropei tics destroyed and damaged at the recent live. Jt is to lie noted, however, that the figures do nut disclose the actual iunotnus u) be paid over to the various iirui-i interested, a«? in i>ractiealiy every ease tiic companies liive divided their risks l>v reinsurances, and the lutals given indicate only the not amount ot ilu-ir holdings, minus tile re-insiiiauccS, which in niauv eases wen; aU'edcd with Home I companies. and the amounts ol J | a r<» not dtei-lo*ed. The gro-;s amounts I{o he paid over by the companies, it is I estimated, will exceed .C-JiJO.OUO. i lie net risks' held by Die several companies named are as follow*: Ivuyal.- -Asliby. Heigh and On <toek: liallenstein Hi'ns., C'riHl on Hkiek, I-") 1' "*) ii-Mun-s; Nuance and I o. 4JIOUO on building, xTtU on ftoek; licit and Slaymaker. £SOO on Stl'allge alld '■ '<£2oo "II Stock ; White Marl," C 5500 i;u building; IT'cL-man ' Ltd.,' £5001) mi building; Malcolm sunt in„ ' C.'!5II!) on stock; Cliii'ord, Clf.iO .'H slock mill furiusniug--; J.M.C., £XOUO >n building and slock; Uakey. £-1-10 m stock; lleynolds awl Kinvig, £SOO oil r.tock. Victoria. CiU livo-.. Coil" on buildin"; D.1.C., £270 oil building, (] .C?3> on stock; White llart, .ClOlO on building; Asny, Bergh anil t 0.. C2->OO on stock, CIOOO on lixtuves, etc.; W. A. Trilu 1 and Co., C4.it) oil stock; Suange and Co-, £IOOO on building; Malcolm' and Co.. .CIOOO on building and slock; J). Benjamin and Co., £SOO on stock; reinsurance £2000; net vUlw, C<s»so. i\ew ZeaUiiid.—Sti.uige and to.. £1000; Tvibe and Co., .CSOO on stock; Freeman's, Ltd., £lOOll ou building, Tucker, £2400 on stock and fixtures, , COOO on stock in strong room; Shiymaker. £2500 on building, £SOO on fixtures and fittings; White lfart,_£sooo on building; wai'dell tiros., £1750 on building and contents of bacon factory; D.1.C., €2300 on building and contents; Ilalleustein Bros., £1250 on stock; Benjamin and Co.. £l7O on liuihling. Alliance.—Strange and Co., £3OOO :m block; Hulbcrt and Shiymaker, .CIOOO oil stock; While Haft, "CJOOO on building and £IOOO oil warehouse; Benjamin and Co.. £15(10 ou Imihling, and £2500 ou stock; D.1.C., £1750 on building, and £4750 ou slock; Beath and Co., £2OOO on .stock. South British. —II a 1 lens te i n Bros., £875 on building and stock; M.C), £IOOO Oil building and stock; Strange and Co.. £IOOO Oil >lock ; Tribe and Co.. £751) on Imihling; .Malcolm and Co., £lOOll on stock; Asliby. Bcrgh and Co., CIOOO on stock; Shiymaker, £220 on building, C(>so on stock; I*reemaiiH, Ltd., £250 on stock; White Hart £SOO on building. Liverpool, London and (llolie.—Maleolinn and Co., £3500; Elaine. £2001) (CIOOO re-insured); Tribe anil Co., £500; D.1.C., £2000; (fill, £.>oo; Strange and Co., £2000; making a total of £lO,500. The company also holds £SOOO :>n the Bank ot Australasia, which was not seriously damaged. .Norwich t'liion. —White Hart, £1000; WardellV bacon factory, .1200; Strange and Co., C 2000; D.1.C., £740 l!)s 2d; Ue.ith and Co., £700; total, £744!). Commercial t'liion.—Asliby, ISergh and Co., £2000; D.i.C., £2500: Beath and Co., £1500; total, £OOSO. Sun.—Strange and Co., CIOO on build, ing; D.I.C. £SOO oil building. -National.—l'enjaniin and Co., £IOOO oil stock; cm Bros., £2OOO on building; £250 on fittings; Ilalleustein Bros., £550 on building; fsorcusen, £SOO on building; Gotl Bros., stock and liftings, «:;000; Walker and Co., £IOOO on stock; D.1.C., £730 on stock, £270 on building; Asliby, Bergh and Co., £IOOO on stock; llulbevt and Slaymiiker, £275 oil fixtures, and £4OO on stock. Atlas.—Wardell Bros., £4IOO on building and took; Benjamin and Co., £IOOO on stock.

TELEGRAM FROM THE PREMIER. ilia Worship the Mayor received the following telegram from the Premier today:—"l heard with the deepest regret of the disastrous fire that has occurred in your city, and by which a large number of your fellow citizens have suffered a financial loss in addition to the throwing out of employment of a large number of employees. It is ;i most serious matter, and I tender my earnest sympathy to both the employers and the emploj'ees. I feel sure, however, that those concerned will, with the characteristic pluck and energy of our people, make the best of a bad job and quickly overcome Uie diflieultios brought about by the great disaster."

NOTES ON THE FIRE. The ruins of the big lire are .still smoking vigorously, and occasional Humes make their appearance in spite of the enormous iinantity of water that lias been pumped in by the brigade. The debris inside the scorched and shatter-; ed walls of tlie D.I.C, building seems to contain still a good deal of inflammable matter, as several small firei could be seen this morning. Probably it. will be at least a week before it will be possible to start the work of clearing away the ashes. Somo of the walls at present standing are. obviously in an unsafe condition, and tlicy will lMve to be pulled down as soon as possible.

The White Hart frontage is fairly safe, but the front wall of Ashbv, Jtergli anil Co.'s building and the niljoining premises is cracked extensively, and several pieces have fallen. The D.T.C. walls in both Cashel street and Lichfield street have been partially demolished, and the wall of Warden's factory facing the right-of-way has been pulled down, filling tli e right-of-way with bricks.

_ Negotiations for the re-building operations have been opened in several instances, but it will be. some time before any definite plans are prepared- There is no doubt, however, that ultimately the appearance of the citv will b fi improved as a result of the fire.

The land covered by the fire lias increased enormously in value during recent years, and owners will take the opportunity to secure the maximum velum from the land available. This will mean larger buildings in several cases. Viewed from this standpoint, the (ire would have rendered a service to Christolnirch had it taken a group of small buildings further west in the block.

Workmen commenced to demolish tlie, front wall of Ashby, Bei-gh and Co.'s yesterday afternoon, and the proceedings a,Horded much interest to a crowd of spectators. The falling hriekwork b'ldly be.nl" the two new metallic circuit cables which had just been repaired by tno Telephone Department, and severed 1 from fifteen to twenty telephone wires causing them to almost lo the £Tonnd for some distance along the street, It is proposed to pull the rest ol the wall down.