CURIOUS ACCIDENT: COLLAPSE OF A LARGE BUILDING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 223, 26 June 1872, Page 3

CURIOUS ACCIDENT: COLLAPSE OF A LARGE BUILDING.

Yesterday forenoon, about half-past ten o’clock, a ratnor curious accident took place on Queen-street Wharf. The twostoreyed building commonly known bv Hie cognomen of “ H is Lordship's Lanier,” ad joiuining the promises of Messrs J. and J.), <)x!ey,ship-chandlers and block-makers, was one of those buildings, not uncommon in Auckland, having been erected without ■ midi regard to the permanency of the erection. This maybe attributed in some degree to the short tenure that is given of the allotments, upon one of which the hoiis.; in question was erected. We believe it. was owned by Mr S. G. Edmonds, and tenanted by two parties. The house was wind is known as a double one, and the porLion next to Messrs Oxley’s premises was occupied by Mr Bulling rs an ciuing and lodging - house: and 1 1 1 0 portion adjoining the boatman's gridiron was oeciip’ed by Mr Messenger, as a place where customers could he supplied with cigars, Fiji fruit, &c., and was usually known as the Fiji House. The house was creeled on small tea-true piles, ami the floor of the house was ma le level with the Queen-street Wharf. Tiie front part had no pretensions to a fastening to the wharf, hut was merely rested against two or three small blocks of wood which were inserted amongst the stone work at that part of the wharf. The piles upon which the house was supported seem to have been innocent of any aid which might be received from a system of braces or stringers binding the whole into a compact mass. Tim piles were not sunk into the bed of the harbour, but set down upon cioss-pieces, and as the supports were not braced together the snper-strue-turc or house was liable to gut over turned by any heavy breeze or tide, for some time past the house has been known to be in a dangerous slate, an 1 the Messrs Oxley have urged the necessity of having it secured, because in the event of it failing it was probable that their premises might suffer owing to the. large amount of heavy goods stored therein. Breparalions were being made for doing something to it to secure its stability, and it was stated yesterday that it was intended to begin these repair works when the tide ebbed. However, some time between 7 and 8 o’clock it was observed that the house had got off the plumb about six inches, and attention was drawn to it. This failed to cause immediate. steps to be taken to secure the premises, and about half-past 10, while Miss Messenger was walking on the verandah in trout of her shop,she felt the house under way, and leaped on the wharf just in time to sec the place she had stood on an instant before buried beneath the tide. The house dropped astern, the front part separating from the wharf by a considerable space, and the northern part becoming' bedded upon the 1 oat man s gridiron. Persons in his Lordship's Larder got a fright, but they were speedily rescued uninjured from their positions by the willing hands who gathered round. As the tide ebbed ilia house became weaker, and about half-past one o’clock the strain on the timbers had become so great that hv the falling of the tide the half of the building next Messrs Oxley’s became thoroughly broken-lip, the other h;df canting over tiie wreck. Several of the piles under M.-Sars Oxley’s premises were driven out by the capsize, but they had a number of bauds employed during 1 lie forenoon strengthening their place by heavy braces in anticipation of such an accident as took place. Had tin y not used this precaution there is not the least doubt but their premises would have been crushed over by the falling of the neighbouring building. Eaeii of tlie two tenants estimates the loss he has sustained at about £59, and Messrs Stone Brothers estimate the damage done to the store at £590. We bdieve that an examination of the piles upon winch the house was built, when the tide receded, snowed that they were perfectly sound, and that they exhibit little or no signs ot decay. The I accident can therefore only he attributed i to the want of sulliei.-n: hr..dug underthe i house.— J). »S. Cross.