THE STRAND ARCADE FIRE.
By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, August 17. The fire in the Strand Arcade broke out with renewed vigour a 11 p.m. A heavy fall of masonry completely closed the passage of the Arcade, and a deluge of water soon left a mass of blackened ruins. This morning nothing but the bare walls remain. The fire was responsible for numerous which in two cases required treatment at the hospital. Thos. McPherson, who at an early stage of the fire rescued a man from a perilous position bv pulling him on to the adjoining roof at great personal risk, while assisting the fire Brigade, 'had to jump with a falling wall. He was carried out with the debris, and burned and bleeding was removed to the hospital. His conduct is described as heroic, and he had the satisfaction of saving on. man's life. Murfc O'Sullivan, who* was aho assisting the brigade, was also removed to the h ospital with an injured knee, and slight abra.-ions to the head. In less than fifteen minutes of the discovery of the outbreak the whole of the Queen Street frontage was one great roaring mass of intermingled flame and smoke, while the interior itself, particularly on the-Albert Hotel- side, was a great' awful inferno, shooting up gigantic columns of flame. As the fire penetrated into the recesses of the building a series of explosions from the igniting gas meters occurred, following in quick succession. At 8.35 a terrific explosion, probably from a large gas meter, occurred on the Thistle Hotel' side of the building. Ten minutes later it was followed by another and even greater one, which sent up an enormous mountain of lurid flames and blew out the northern wall, sending it crashing with a. tremendous roar through the roof of the Thistle Hotel. In the Arcade itself the firemen entered at the peril of thsir lives. A njmber of men were working gallantly with three leads opposite' the scene of the original outbreak. Without warning an immense mass of debris came down almost on top of them. Fortunately, noni. were hurt though several had a very narrow escape.
The insurances on the Str&nd Arcade building, totalled £71,000. Of this £7,000 was held in the New Zealand Office and the remaining £IO,OOO is distributed amongst the Alliance, Atlas, Northern, Guardian, and Australian Alliance offices.
The Thistle Hotel (owner J. D arby was insured, but the insurances are not available. It is understood the Strand Arcade was heavily reinsured. The London and Koyal held risks on the stocks as follows —Walter Darby, £3,100; Skelton and Frostick, £1,500; Crouch, £15(); Hume, £100; W. Libbell and Co. £6OO. The National held lines on the stocks as under.—P. M. Dewar. £400; H. L. Nenrickson. £100; B. G. Chilw.ell, £IOO. Mr Darby had £6,000 to £7,000 on the stock which was saved by the iron shutters. Some of it waß injured on removal. The Standard had £IOO on Leathby's stock. The London, Liverpool, and Globe and North British held a risk over Leonard and Harrison's stock. Messrs Prior (Strand Cafe) had £350 in the Norwich. The estimate of their loss is £650 above this. The licensee of the Albert Hotel, Mr P. J. Dslaney, estimates the damage at £1,200.
DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT SIXTY THOUSAND POUNDS. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, August 17. As far ni could be ascertained today from a careful investigation, the total amount of damage by last night's fire at the Strand Arcade will probably prove to be in the neighbourhood of £60,000. Tha chief damage done, of course, was to the Strand Arcade itself. This may be put down at about £30,000. The other principal losses were : British and Continental Piano Company, £4,000 or £5,000. £ Thomas Mitchell (agent for Mw?.*rs Bowen Brothers, Christchurcb,} £4,500. Leonard and Harrison, £2.500.. Strand Cafe, £I.OOO, Albert Hotel, £I,OOO. Thistle Hotel, £1,500. Crouch, £I,OOO. U. Palmer, £2,500. Three men, Neil Howall, Johro Brown annd Charles Lapwood; were injured this afternoon while working among the Strand Arcade ruins as the result of the collapse of ona of the walls. Howell is in a critical condition. Keports are current that a woman was seen in the (op store/ of the Arcade while the fire was burning crying for help, and making a frantic effort t<i but so far no one is raporied missinna:.
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Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9571, 18 August 1909, Page 5
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722THE STRAND ARCADE FIRE. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9571, 18 August 1909, Page 5
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