CONFLAGRATION IN WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8268, 23 October 1906, Page 5

CONFLAGRATION IN WELLINGTON.

WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

| WATER MAINS BUKST. FIREMEN SERIOUSLY HAMPERED. INSURANCE LOSSES AMOUNT TO NEARLY £70,000. (Abridged from the Evening Poet). It is safe to say that never In the history off Wellington has such a disastrous Are taken place, from a financial point of view, as that which oocurred in .Wellington yesterday morning. The dawn was just breaking when Constable Mahoney noticed smoke puffing lazily above the roof of the Wellington Auctioneering Company's premises in Lambton Quay, directly opposite Grey Street. At 3.25 he communicated with the Central Fire SfcatloD, and the Brigade turned out promptly. Tbe building in which the fire originated was an old dilapidated one-storey wooden struotare—a survival of past days. It fed the flames like tinder, but as the walls of the Trooadero private hotel rose sheer against it four storeys high, and Batkin's tobacoonist shop made a similarly high wall on the other side, the odds were that under ordinary conditions tbe Brigade would have a comparatively easy task. The water was turned into three leads of hose with all speed, and by Che time the firemen commenced to play them on tbe buildings the flames were hissing and roaring in a fresn nor'-wester. "What's wrong with the water?" "More waterl" excitedly demanded tne bystanders who stood around in the dawn. It was a fact. The water, which at most times gives a magnificent pressure, seemed to dribble out of tbe nozzles. It did not rise more than a dozen feet. And then the disquieting news was whispered round that the mains from Wainui-o-mata had burst at ten minutes before the Are was reported! The Brigade was forced to fall bank on the Karon supply, which is only an. auxiliary to the priuoipal source of supply at Wainui, and they Worked as men should against what were plainly insurmountable difficulties.

First the windows in the top etorey of the Trocadeio tumbled in, and tbe flames, rushing up from the little building below, crawled up to the roof along tbe eaves, and thence to the rear of the Commercial Hotel adjoining. Scores of boarders from the Trocadero aud the Oommeroal Hotel scrambled out of their beds and rushed into tbe street with whatever they could lay their hands on. Half of the building occupied by tbe Wellington AuotioneeringCompany was tenanted as a fruit shop by Miss Koach, and in less than an hoar this shanty, the fine building known as the Trooadero, and the Commercial Hotel were being rapidly converted into smoke and flames. It was pitiable in the extreme to see the brigadesmen struggling with a few leads of water that might have been appropriately used to sprinkle a lawn. Millions of cinders were floating every-* where, and the New Zealand Insurance Company's one-storey wooden building aoross the street, and forming the oorner of Grey Street and Lambton Quay received the full force of this veritable deluge of flakey fire. Huddled in the street below were scores of half-dcessad women ani men in pyjamas and overcoats, carrying gripsacks and portmanteaux the maximum of their J worldly possessions recued from the flame?. One of these weary j watchers suddenly pointed to a little star of fir© in an ornamental cornice in the New Zealand Insurance Company's building. A email shower of water obliterated it for a few minutes, but the roof was a restng place for hundredweights of glowing embers, and in a few minutes it flared again and crept silently along the upper mountings like the thief it was. For a few minutes the brigade concentrated all its energy on the Trooadero and the Commercial Hotel in a magnificent out hopeless fight, -all this time' the fire in the Insurance Company's building across the street was steadilly gaining ground. What a striking contrast it waa , to the rush and roar of the flames , opposite. It simply crawled along the roof—there is no other word for it—and nppeared to be crying out to be suppressed. Superintendent Hugo ordered one of his men up on a ladder with a hose, but the water simply spurted a few short feet, and died away in mist before it reached the flames. "Get up on the roof," the Superintendent coolly ordered, and three or four men clambered up a ladder at the side of a building dragging a stout length of hose after them. "Turn on," be calmly direoted, but, alas I it wus no use. "There is no water, sir," plaintively answered the senior hand on top, and the willing, but baffled squad was compelled to struggle down again, and aommenoe another attack on the Trooadero and tbe Commercial Hotel, while the fire in the Insurance Company's building worked its way downwards, and thence along Lambton Quay to an adjoining restaurant, and the Union Bank of Australia, which forms the southern oorner of this triangular blopk bouuded by Lambton Quay and Fcatherston Street. Plainly the buildings on the western side of Lambton Quay were the most valuable and the brigade direoted nearly all lta anergy on these. When the Post Office clock tolled 5.30, all the buildings between Catkin's tobacconist's shop aud the splendid building of the Bank of New Sonth Wales—a threestorey .structure, only in occupation about nine mouths, and erected last year at h cost of upwards of £50,000 —were one tremendous and aweinspiring mass of flames. The crashing in of Whitoombe's fine three-storey building might be likened to the roar of artillery and the crack of rifles on a battlefield. Tbe small windows in tbe upper stories jingled in splinters to the

street below, and then the huge plate-glass windows on the ground floor fell outwards with a mighty roar and ground themselves into a thousand pieces. It was a gorgeous yet sorrowful speotaole to watch the flames dancing about the roof-tops—-pathetic to think uf the thousands of pounds worth of valuable property which were being converted .into blaokened ruins at express speed, mainly because of a break in the water mains. At 6 o'clock it was clear that the whole of the triangular block opposite where the lire started, with the i single exception of Young and Tripe's four-storey brick building, , which occupies the corner of Grey and Peatherston Streets, presenting two solid walla lo the lire—were absolutely doomed. The Alliance Insurance Company's building adjoining the New Zealand Insurance Company in Grey Street, withstood the fire for a couple of hours, and then gave up resistance. Like the others, it was attacked in the roof aud burnt downwards through its two stories. The march of the flames was irresistble. After sucking up the buildings fronting the eastern side of the quay,Jthey crept round to the rear and directed a bath of fire on Oaatendyk and Fooke's threestory wooden building facing Featherston Street. All this time the officers of the Union Bank of Australia and the police were hastily transferring the bank's portable property and records not stored in the strong room to a place of safety. The esoapees from the Trocadero and the Commercial Hotels had taken up quarters in Ynung and Tripe's building, but dozens of them rushed pell mell into the street when it was whispered abroad that the building was alight in the loof. Happily this story was only partially correct, and danger was successfully averted. Few believed tbat the Bank of New South Wales would not hold out against the fire, but the deluge of olnders and sparks was invinoible. Wbitcombe and Tombs' building was oonsumed with extraordinary rapidity. The capitulation of the Bank of New South Wales was a striking sight. The fire got a hold in the rear of the building, and almost simultaneously broke out in the bottom storey under the staircase leading to the inspector's office. The huge glass domes in the centre of the building over the banking chamber gave way under the weight of cinders later on, and by 7 o'clock the whole of the magnificent edifioe was being consumed. It was really little Bbort of a miracle that the large wooden building known as the Exohange and the Post Office Savings Bank, the New York Life Assurance Company, and the South British Insurance Company's buildiugs, with numerous subtenants, wore saved. Several tiroes these caught alight in the roofs, but willing hands with buckets of water commenced an onslaught on every manifestation of fire, and eventually succeeded in saving much valuable property. At one period it looked as if the whole of the southern portion of the Quay and the western side o£ Willis Street to the Grand Hotel would be swallowed up, to say nothing of hundreds of wooden dwellings oh the Terrace right above. At 8.30 oclook- the fire had run its course, and was under control. Roughly, fifteen business premises were destroyed, and probably over one hundred different firms and companies occupying offioes in the various buildings destroyed are outcasts to-day. It is impossible to estimate accurately the total damage and loss of property in thousands sterling, but, roughly, it may be put down at £IOO,OOO. Following is the full list of the destroyed premises:—Hallenstein's auotion mart, Misa Koaoh's fruit shop, IPinnock's Trocadero (private hotel), Dwyer's Oommerotal Hotel Coban's fancy goods bazaar, Levi's optician establishment, Shields' tailoring shop, Wbitcombe and Tomb's printing esteblisment, the Bank of New South Wnles, the Union Bank of Australia, Castendyk and Fooke's warehouse, Worger's Stran3 cafe,,the Alliance Insuranoe Buildings, the Wellington Trust and Loan Buildings, the New Zealand Insuranoe Buildings, A. T. Bate's premises. Tenants of the buildings were as follow:—New Zealand Insurance Company: |Penty anl Blake, architects; Eggers, commission apent. Alliance Insuranoe Company: H. B. Wilson, sharebroker; J. Crewes, building societies' secretary; Woolfe, commission agent; C. M. Batiks' agency office. Union Bank Extension: Strand Cafe, A. T. Bate. M. J. Browne: Wellington Trust and Land Company. Wellington Trust and Loan Company: Henry Kember and Son, accountants; S. Orchard, land agent. Bank of New South Wales: Crichton and McKay, architects: Wellington Deposit, Mortgage, and Building Association; United Fire Insuranoe Company; Chas. Morris and Company, auctioneers; James W, Jaok, indent agent; Wellington Building Society; Wellington Opsra House Company; W. MoLean; Empire Loan and Discount Company; I Hamerton, Andrew, and Webb, solicitors; Wellingon Rugby Union; Eastbourne Borough Council; J. D. Avery, seoretary aud agent; A. J. McTavish and Co., land and estate agents; the Viavi Companyf the Miramar Tramway Junction Land Company; the Puketapu Satvmilling Company. How the flames effected an entry into the Bank of New South Wales has already boen told. Rushing along unobecked, the fire soon demolished the interior of the building, which hRs been occupied by the bank since the 18th September of last year. Practically nothing was saved, but of course all the documents, papers, and coin, were stored in a strong room in the vaults below the tanking chamber. The walls of the bank remain to tell sightseers what a fine building it that has suffered such damage. Seventeen months were occupied by Messrs Mitchell and King, contractors, in erecting the structure. which was recognised as one of the finest buildings ju the colony. It . was designed by Messrs Crichton and McKay, and cost over £40,000. The office fittings iu Mr Jack's rooms were valued at about £l5O, and he estimates bis loss above insurance at about £SO. The Wellington Deposit, Mortgage, and Building Association's office was de-

stroyed, meaning a loss of about £25. Mr Chas. Morris bad no insuranoe on his office fittings, and his loss thereby amounts to £llO. Wbitcombe and Tombs' building a fine three-storey brick edifiuu of a composite character with modern subdivisions and floors, was owned by Mr J. E. Blair, and erected about eight years ago at a cost of over £7,000. The stock carried by the firm is estimated to have been worth £35,000, while the total insurances amount to £21,000. The local manager, Mr H. W. Burgess, anticipates that the firm will be able to set up in temporary premises in a week. Colncidently with the destruction of Messrs Whitoombe and Tombs building between 70 and 80 hands will be thrown out of employment for a time at least. ' | The Allianoe Insuranoe Company's offices were totally destroyed, but most of the books have been saved. The building was insured for £BOO. The Commercial Hotel, of which there is not a single stick left standing, was formerly known as the Ranfarly Hotel, and previously was even better known to Wellington people as the Star Hotel. The building toas constructed entirely of wood and bad two stories.- The building was insured for £2,400. Mr Dwyer{ the lessee, who was a heavy loser by the fire, had the stock and furniture insured for £1,250. The Union Bank building was valued at £I,OOO, and the furniture and effects were insured in the Royal Offioe for £650. There were about 160 persons in the Trooadero Private Hotel when the fire occurred, and they all escaped from tbe building in a comparatively quiet and orderly manner '•What have you saved from the premises?' asked a Post reporter of Mr George Pinnock, the proprietor of tbe Trocadero. "Absolutely nothing I" was the reply. Continuing, he SHid be could have saved £SOO worth of plate had he realised the danger. From the time that the fire started until it so* into tbe Trooadero an hour s time elapsed. His personal loss in furniture and plate would be about £4,500. Questioned as to business matters, Mr Pinnock said, apart from the furniture and plate, he valued the goodwill of the Trocadero at £4,500. Ahout three months ago he was within an aoe of selling it for that amount. He had a lease cf the building, and unler the le&Be the owners of the place were uuder an obligation to bim tobuild as quickly as possible. The building contained 84 rooms, and was owned by Messrs H. Gilmer, A. Maguire and O. M'Ardle, from whom it was leased by Mr George Pinnook, who it will be recollected was burnt out in Willis Street a few years ago. The premises were valued at £12,000.

The Central Hotel, an old twostorey wooden building on the corner of Hunter Street and Lambtou Quay, had very narrow escape from destruction. The licensee (Mr Gow) and several of his friends ware kept busily engaged putting out the showers of cinders that fell upon the roof until the wind ohanged, and then, when everything seemed SBfe, the fire-fighters retired beluw to help the escapees from the other buildings. Suddenly a servant gave warning that a back bedroom upstairs was ablaze. The manager (Mr Harrington) aud Mr Low then discovered that a spark had set alight to a ourtain in the bedroom, a corner of which was on fire. The rapid application of water from all the jugs upstairs put tbe flames out and saved the building, that would have been as tinder had the flames got under way. The building was insured for £1,500. The fire from Wellington terrace in its early stages afforded a magnificent speotaole. Several of the houses in Bouloott Terraue were for a time in great danger. The bushes and fences alon<? the edge of the cliff caught fire, and at one time it looked as if several dwelling-houses would go.

By Telegraph—Press Association^

WELLINGTON, October 22. As far as can be ascertained ther approximate n«t losses sustained by the various companies are as follows: Alliance £5,000, Atlas £1,700, Australian Allianoe £I,OOO, Commercial Union £7,000, Guardian £2,800, Liverpool, Loudon and Globe £B,OOO, National £1,500, New Zealand, £4,500, North British and Mercantile £2,500, North Queensland £2,000, Northern £2,000, Norwioh Union £2,300, Phoenix £5,250, Royal £3,200, Royal Exchange £1,700, South British £3,700, Standard £3,000, United £2,800, Victoria £3,000, Yorkshire £6OO, Sun £4,700; total, £68,250. In the oase of the Union Bank building it is thought that tbe premises are covered to the extent of about £4,000. The Royal Office heldja line of £650 on the fixtures, which were totally destroyed, and the Liverpool, London and Globe bad £4,400 on the building. The bank business is being conducted in the premises of the Citizen's Life Office in Larobton Quay. It is a remarkable thing i« connection with the fire that the State Department had nothing at stake, though holding risks in the immediate vicinity. Mesdames Jas. Nicjl aud J. R. Niool, of Masterton, were among tne inmates of the Trocadero at the time of tbe fire. They occupied a room on the top storey of the building. Both ladies had sufficient time to dross and escape to the street.