BIG FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1922, Page 5

BIG FIRE

A WELLINGTON BLAZE. ELEVEN HOUSES INVOLVED. NO WATER SUPPLY. By T«legr«Db —-Press AssecUtion. Wellington, March 11.. One of the worst residential area fires in the history of Wellington occurred this morning between about 7.30 and 9 o’clock, whereby the whole of Maurice Terrace, on the slope facing Upper Willis Street, and comprising eight large two-storey houses, and two houses in McKenzie Terrace, situated just at the back of Wellington Terrace, were totally destroyed in a little over an hour.

The work of the brigade was hampered, as it was in the case of at least two great local fires in the past, by the failure of the high pressure water supply. This was due to a break in the Wainui main. No pressure could be obtained from the nearby hydrants, and it was not till a lead of 1500 feet of hose was taken over the hill from Kelburn that a sufficient lead could be obtained to have any effect on the fire, the new supply of water reaching the scene shortly after 9 o’clock, over an hour and a half after the outbreak.

The fire was concentrated on the north end of the blaze, where a tenth house was going up in flames, and the efforts of the central brigade, supplemented by suburban and auxiliary fire-fighters, succeeded a little later in cutting off the fire from further advance towards Mount Street Mid the Terrace proper. Had it not been for this single lead of high pressure water from the Kelburn high level system being concentrated by every conceivable appliance at a critical time on the danger zone of the fire, nothing could have stopped i « progress into Mount Street and the Terrace. It is hard to say where the fire would have slopped without such a precious feeder of water having been applied in the very nick of time. The eight Maurice Terrace houses destroyed were all substantial two-storey residences of a superior tytpe, while the tAvo in McKenzie Terrace were modem, commodious homes. It is a total loss, for nothing is left of the houses burnt but the solitary high chimney stacks, which are standing like the columns of a ruined temple. ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE. The damage is estimated at between £25,000 and £30,000, and the loss to the insurance companies is put down at about £20,000. The following are the details, as far as can be ascertained, of the owners and occupiers of the houses destroyed:Maurice Terrace.—No. 25, Mrs. B. Berry, owner and occupier, daughter and five girl students as boarders. No. 23.—J. L. Morrison, owner and occupier, absent at the time. Two occupants. No. 21.—J. Harle, owner and occupies, with Mrs. Harle, two children, and two lady visitors from New Plymouth. No. 19. —E. Sime, owner and occupier, with family. No. 17.—Mrs. Barker and son (N. A. J. Barker), occupier of top ‘floor, Mr. and Mrs. Percy South, occupiers of bottom floor. No. 15.—Mrs. J. Rains, owner and occupier. No. 13.—Mrs. Charles Bush, owner and occupier. No. ll.—Mr. J. Mathers. x McKenzie Terrace.—No. 9: Public Trustee in estate of late Mrs. C. D. Welsh, occupied by Mr. Frank W. Bell with family. No. 7.—Mrs. M. McGavin, owner and occupier. No. s.—Captain Smith, damaged by scorching and excessive heat. The othei adjoining houses were more or less scorched. INSURANCES. The insurances are not yet complete, but the following amounts have been ascertained: Mrs. B. L. Berry, house £l5OO in the Standard Office, furniture £390 in the Atlas. J. L. Morrison, house £l5OO, furniture £BOO, both in the South British. C. Bush,, house £9OO in the Sim. P. A. South, furniture £2OO in the United Office. Welsh estate, house £6OO in the Commercial

Union. Mrs. Barker, furniture, etc., £425 in the Sun Office. J. Mathers, furniture £BOO in the Sun Office. Mrs. McGavin, furnrturf £575 in the State Fire Office, house £6OO in the Standard. James Smith, furniture in No. 5 McKenzie Terrace, £lOO in the State Fire Office.