Great Fire in Queen street, Auckland.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3841, 21 April 1881, Page 2

Great Fire in Queen street, Auckland.

Large amount of Damage done.

[By TBiEftEiPH, pbbPke3S Association.]

AUCKLAND.

This day

At three o'clock this morning a disastrous fire took place in Qneen street, the scene being a block occupied by Mrs Coster (milliner), Whitehead (tobacconist), " Cole (basketmaker), Mason Bros* (hairdressers), T. Harris (tobacconist), and Patterson's store and stables. Constable Dewsj on duty at the wharf, saw a fire suddenly burst out as an explosion, and immediately the whole of the sheds near Whitehead's bowling saloon were inflames. As the fire could not be reached from Queen street, the constable could do but little, but the fire brigade was quickly out, and played on the premises. Before the brigade had got well to work, Harris and Mason's shops in Queen street were in a blaze. . ; The Auckland Savings Bank adjoining was in great danger, but every effort was made to keep the fire back from it. I

After a great struggle the fir,e in Mason's and Harris 1, was got under. The Bank was; then safe, but in the meantime the jfirj spread in another direction, catching in turn Whitehead's, Coster's, L'atterson's stables, and Payne's the watehmak< r. The next effort was made to put out the fire in Payne's shop, which had been cleared of the goods by the salvage corps. The Brigade succeeded by chopping down the partition, and a copious supply of water. The buildings between the Bank and Payne's shop being all old wooden structures the fire was continually breaking out afresh, and the firemen had great difficulties to contend with owing to the falling beams and having to work underneath verandahs. A small hosiery establishment ignited from the sparks, but was put out before any damage was done. Fortunately no horses were in the stables. But little or nothing was saved from any of the shops except Payne's. The fire burned brightly for over two hours. ; Later. 11.22 am. The fire in Queen street destroyed the following premises :—Whitehead, tobacconist ; Cole, busketmaker; Mason, hair* dresser; Harris, tobacconist; Mrs Coster, milliner ; and Patterson's stables. The fire spread so rapidly, and all the buildings being of dry wood, that none of the contents were saved. Payne's jeweller's shop was damaged, and the stock carried out by the Salvage Corps, but the building was saved by the exertions of the brigade, and the progress of the fire was thus stayed. The fire removes another of the few remaining old wooden blocks of buildings in Queen street. Latest. 1.25 p;m. The insurances on the properties destroyed by the Queen street fire are :— South British, £1000 (Payne's stock all saved); Colonial, £800; United, £100; Northern, £100; Norwich Union, £100 Five of the shops that were destroyed are owned by Mr Barstow, R.M., and Costelli.