DISASTROUS FIRES.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 213, 23 November 1897, Page 2

DISASTROUS FIRES.

FIRE IN MELBOURNE

OVER A MILLION DAMAGES

(UY TELEGRAM—OWN CORRESPONDENT). Auckland, List Night. News has been received from Melbourne of a great firo, which destroyed a valuable block of buildings. The property was valued at more than a million sterling. Private cabins received in Dunedin show that the following firms arc affected :—Sargood Sou and Ewen, soft goods merchants, Flinders street and Flinders Lane ; L. Stephenson and Son (Ltd.), soft goods merchants, Flinders Lane ; Lincoln and Stewart, soft goods merchants, Flinders street ; Craig, Williamson and Thoirns, drapers, Elizabethstreet ; Detmold and Co., bookbinders and stationers, Fliuders Lane ; Conybcar. Grieve and Co., fancy goods merchants, Flinders Lane; Michael, storekeeper. The warehouses of Sargoods were one of the land marks of Melbourne. They were recently enlarged by the addition of extensive premises. They covered the entire depth of the block, a distance of '212 feet, and had a large frontage to Flinders-street. Including the basement they were five storeys in height. Adjoining these warehouses were those of Messrs Lincoln and Stewart, three storey in height, with a frontage of 40 teet to Flinders-sticot by a depth of 150 iect. Craig, Williamson and Thomas' premises were an immense retail istab lishment at the foot of Elizibeth-strcet, in which they had a frontage of about 100 feet, by a similar depth. The building was six storeys high. Detmold and Co.'s building was four storeys in height, and that of Stephenson and Son a similar height. The total insurances on the premises affected amount to three-quarters of a milliou sterling, and the National Company of New Zealand is interested to the extent of £9OOO subject to salvage. The fire has left in ruins the magnificent block of buildings between Flindersstreet and Little Flinders-street, where the large importers' warehouses were principally situated. The buildings were all of a most substantial character, and situated in the immediate vicinity of the wharves and the Flindeis street railway station. The loss sustained by the South British Insurance Company through the Melbourne fire will not exceed £IO,OOO. The New Zealand Office had an insurance on the block in Melbourne to the extent of about £20,000. Their net IO3S is put down at about £15,000. TWO FIRES AT GISIiORNE. (by telegraph.—own correspondent). Gisboh.nk, Last Night. A six roomed cottage, occupied by Mackrell, a carpenter, and situated to the windward of a large block of small shops in the main street, was burned shortly before miilll'ght on Sunday. The insurance was £'2so in the United, and £SOO in the Palatine. Two hours later a seven-roomed house in another part of the town, owned by Mr Carr, was destroyed. The insurance was £250 in the National. ATTEMPT TO PURN A STATE SCHOOL. {u\ TEIiEOEA.ni. —OWN correspondent)." Reefton, Last Night. A deliberate attempt was made yesterday morning to burn down the State School. Fortunately the outbreak was perceived by the night watchman, and the brigade were quickly on the spot. They found that the fire plugs in the vicinity had been rendered useless by pieces of iron being forced into them, and some time was lost in getting the water to play on the fhmes, which, however, were soon subdued. The interior of the building was badly burnt, and it will take about £390 to repair the damHOT SPRINGS HOTEL, TE AKOIIA, BURNT. On Saturday morning about half-past throe the kitchen of the Hot Springs Hotel, Tc Aroha, was discovered to be on lire. There being no appliances to quell the fire, the building was soon in a blaze. There was a large number of boarders in the hotel, many of them bz'mg ladies ; all fortunately escaped. The hotel wai situated at the corner of the Domain Reserve fronting Whitaker and Browning-streets, and fortunately it was entirely detached. At one time, however, it was feared that Calder's boarding-house would take fire. There was fortunately very little wind at the time. Had this happened all one side of Wliitaker street must have gone. Thsre was very little property saved from the bote!. Dr. Gilbert Smith, who has recently commenced practice and was living temporarily in the hotel, is a heavy loser ; he loses his wife's jewellery and a, quantity of silver plate ; he estimates his loss at £2OO. All the other boarders are losers to some extent.

The building was owned by Hancock and Co., and was fully insured. Mr Knock, the lessee, was not insured, aud his loss is heavy.