CORK IN FLAMES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1921, Page 11

CORK IN FLAMES.

CENTRE OF CITY BURNED A NIGHT OF TERROR. ESTIMATED DAMAGE, £3,000,000. London, Dee. 16. Incendiary fires at Cork last week-end practically wiped out one side of Patrick Street, the principal thoroughfare of the city. Previously there had been an ambush of auxiliary police at Dillon’s Cross as they were apparently coming from the military baracks into the city. Bombs were thrown at them at a point where, owing to the extremely acute angle of the road, motor-cars have to go dead slow. The first intimation residents had that any thing was wrong was a loud explosion, followed almost immediately by two or three explosions. When anything could be made out of the mass of destruction it was found that a number of auxiliary police had been injured, many of them very/ seriously. They were at once removed to a shop in the vicinity, and all that was possible done for them pending their removal’to the military hospital. Twelve cadets were wounded, one of whom has since died. Later there occurred a series of incendiary fires, which have left a considerable portion of the town in ruins. Even before the curfew hour, fires were started in the vicinity of the ambush, a thickly populated district. Many houses in the neighborhood were visited, but not seriously damaged. The houses of two prominent Sinn Feiners, nearly opposite each other, were set on fire and burnt to the ground, the men caused the fires working hard to save the adjoining houses. Meantime the centre of the city began to receive its share of attention, and fires were started in several places on the southern side of Patrick .Street. The flames quickly took a hold on the buildings, and soon after midnight an entire block of buildings on the south side of Patrick Street had been reduced to ruins, A MASS OF RUINS. The finest part of the city now lies a mass of ruins. Patrick Street has devastated on a frontage of 100 yards. Solid blocks of business premises have been laid low. They were the most imposing in Cork, and now all that is left of them is a mass of shattered masonry, heaps of charred stones, and huge girders twisted and blackened by the flames. The semicircular sweep which the premises described, is only denoted by heaps of rubble. Streets running out of the main road lay hidden and impassible, blocked by wreckage. It is estimated that over £3,000,000 worth of damage has been done. Among the buildings destroyed were the City Hall, Municipal Buildings, Carnegie Free Library, Palace Theatre, two hotels, and half-a-dozen large drapery establishments. A late estimate is that 300 houses have been destroyed. The trouble began about nine o’clock. It is reported that pedestrians were held up, tramway-cars were stopped, passengers were taken out, and many beaten. Men were placed against the walls, closely questioned, and threatened with death. For an hour terror held the streets, and civilians were chased indoors. Many stayed with strangers. Bomb explosions and rifle fire continued during the night. It is thought that incendiary bombs were used. CHAMPAGNE AT 6d A BOTTLE. Looting on Sunday morning, was carried out on a large scale. Messrs Mangans, the leading jewellers in Cork, suffered heavily in tftis respect. No attempt was made to fire the premises, but armed men broke in from the back and presented revolvers at the head of the manager, forcing him to hand them the key of the strong room. They then filled a portmanteau with the most valuable portion of the stock, and departed \yith their booty, worth many thousands of pounds. In the looting of Messrs John Daly’s wholesale wine and spirit store, amazing scenes were witnessed. Sinn Fein police took the matter in hand, and forced people to deliver ifbout £5OO worth of stolen goods into their custody for return to the owners. People carried off cases of wines and spirits to their homes, and drank deep during Sunday afternoon. It is stated that quart bottles of champagne and whisky were selling in the neighbourhood at 6d a bottle. Thousands of people were thrown out of employment, not only the employees of the burned houses, but others in local ' industries dependent for their power to drive machinery upon gas engines. Owing to the danger of the gas mains catching fire and blowing up their works, with disastrous results, the CorkGas Company cut off the entire supply to the city. Fortunately the elqctric light supply for power and lighting is in full working order. People who were able to see the incendiaries pass and repass during Saturday night state that many of them were laden with loot, while at other times lorries full of loot moVed about. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. In a debate in the House of Commons following upon the happenings in Cork, a demand was made for an “impartial inquiry.” A number of members assumed that the destruction was wrought by the forces of the Crown. “As to the troops having started the fires in Cork,” said Sir Hamar Greenwood, Chief Secretary for Ireland, “there is not a scrap of evidence to hand to support it. One speaker ha« said that the Sinn Reiners would never burn down their own property. The large store of Cash and CompMiy was owned by Unionist families. The Munster Arcade was run by an old Liberal firm, and in other cases the owners of the property had just as little to with Sinn Fein as the others.” In a statement giving nil the information regarding the Cork burnings, Sir Hamar said It was not known by whom the fires were started. This brought ironic cries qf “Oh, Oh,” from Mr. Jeremiah MacVeagh and others. ‘*l protest most vigorously,” the Chief Secretary ahnost thundered out, “against the suggestion made without any fgidence that these fires were started by forces of the Crown.” The Ijlouse roajed its approval of this., “There if some evidence that incendiary bonibs were used,” £e added. “There are no incendiary bombs in the possession of the police, but we are finding Incendiary bombs on the Sinn Feiners every week.” Mr. P. O’Conner, in a speech of great pathos, said : “For 40 years I have been fitting for Ireland, and my time must be very short. I do not want to leave this earth until I have seen my country free and prosperous, but all my efforts to bring about a change of heart between the two peoples will be futile unifies this vendetta of blood can be