Largo Fire at an Auckland Timber Mill.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 4992, 12 January 1885, Page 2

Largo Fire at an Auckland Timber Mill.

Damages £14,000.

NARROW ESCAPE OF THE GAS

WORKS.

(Pise Pbess Association.)

Auckland, Last night.

A fire broke out at nearly 10 o'clock last night in the sash factory of the New Zealand Timber Company, Customhouse j street West, and before it could b« suppressed the establishment wns destroyed, with a million feet of timber in the yard. The Auckland Timber Company's Mill was saved largely through a change in the wind. The origin of the fire is unknown. The workmen knocked off work at five o'clock on Saturday afternoon. The watchman states the fire began in the top storey of the Sash Factory, and ran through the building before he could get on the hose. The Fire Brigade had eight lrads of hose, and a splendid water supply. Captain Sterling, of the American warship, at the outset, sent Ensign Giimour in the captain's gig, to tender to Superintendent Hughes the services of 'he ship's fire brigade for shore duty, 'which was gladly accepted, when the Ensign .threw up a rocket, and at the signal the Iroquois 1 cutter came ashore with Lieut. Hasley and 25 men and apparatus. Their liberty men on shcre also assisted in getting out warps on to the barquentine Frank Guy. j which was aground at the timber wharf, to save her. Her sails were unbent, and the rigging, top sides, and deck kept plied with water. A large quantity of timber and shingle in her vicinity was thrown into the harbor, but the facing of the wharf taking fire, and falling into the sea, set fire to the floating mass; the vessel was, however, saved. It was past midnight before the crisis was over. A long and desperate struggle ensued on the western side of the block to save the Auckland Timber Company's Factory, and ou the eastern side to prevent the extension of the fire eastward, which proved successful. On the eastern side, when the Auckland Fire Brigade men were exhausted, the Iroquois men relieved them at the hose, defending that point till three o'clock this morning. When the fire was well under control they left for the ship amid the cheers of the populace. But for the splendid water supply, the whole of the timber industries on the reclamations would probably have been wiped out. At the outbreak of the fire, when the Auckland Gasworks were in danger, the crowd kept away apprehensive of the mill's boilers bursting, and of an explosion at the gasometer. The whole of the countryside was illuminated. The steamer Clansman, off Point Rodney, 40 miles distant, saw the fire all night. The Fire Brigade were employed all day playing on the immense mass of smouldering debris, extending over an acre. The Auckland Timber Company has lost £3000 in the timber destroyed, which was uninsured. The New Zealand Timber Company's net loss is £7000. The total damage, including wharfage partly burnt and injuries to adjacent property, is estimated at from £14.000 to £15,000.

Latjjb, This day.

The insurance on the New Zealand Timber Coy.'s property was £30C0 in the Norwich Union, the following beine the re-insurances: —Assurance, £SCQ ; Phcenix. £SCO; Equitable, £250 ; United, £250; National, £250; New Zealand, £250; Colonial, £250. The South British had a risk originally of £7,4C3, which they had. latterly reduced to £4,500, and this policy expired on 31st December last, when a fresh insurance was effected in the Norwich Union. Proposals, with the necessary documents and information for an additional insurance of £3,009, were forwarded to Sydney for acceptance by the Sydney insurance offices on Thursday last, per Ringarooma, but of course these proposals will eventuate in nothing, as information of the fire will have been cabled to Sydney prior to the arrival of the steamer. The Auckland Timber Company's mill and machinery are insured by the South British for £B,OCO (all re insured again save £l,0C0), but the timber in the yards is not insured, being held at the Company's risk. The amount of timber destroyed by the fire was estimated on Saturday night at £2,500 to £3,000, but on examination of the yard yesterday the loss is found not so great, and probably will be from £1,500 to £2,000.