GREAT FIRE IN QUEEN STREET. VALUABLE BUSINESS PROPERTIES DESTROYED. A DOZEN HOUSES BURNED DOWN.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 620, 11 May 1876, Page 2

GREAT FIRE IN QUEEN STREET. VALUABLE BUSINESS PROPERTIES DESTROYED. A DOZEN HOUSES BURNED DOWN.

About ten minutes past two o'clook on Wednesday raorniny symptoms of fire were obserred by Constablo Dwyer, at the rear of the block of business promises at the corner of Victoria and Quopa-Btr"ets, louthwardu. Tho fire at the time had a very slender hold upon the building, and hed thore beon a pail or two hrindy to ha?e applied a little water, it could easily hare been extinguished. But this was wanting, and tha brief delay whicli necosiftnly occirrod in giving the alarm, ennblei tho fire to obtain moh a hold that iLalod the fdo of tho whole block. Tho ft 10 spread so fait that little tine wag afforded tho shop ownen to got out of bed, open thoir place, and get Roodi out. Tlift order in which tho ihops wero fronting Qucen-slroeb from Victoria-street woro as fol* lows :— Messrs T and H Oookeifnvnitnrft warehouse. Mesaro Closo Bros, family grocert. Mr A Payne, watchmaker. Mr Bennett, draper. Mr Syras, hairdresser. Tho Fijian Fruit llouse, which li»9 beon cloied for tho la*t wook or so. Mr Welsman'i, chemist and druggist. Mr Turroti, book and music seller. Mr C Furrow, dining-rootua, late Porter* dininsj-rootns. Tlusltsb \v»s the first prcaiite3 in tho brick ,

tuild ngsin which nro the shops of Messrs MontuEue, iWelow, lie As pr'ioiwly >tAttd, tho fire was fint seen at the rea of tho Llock. Ju&t aa tho constable nude te discovery, aod was about to give tho al inn ie met two members of the stall ot tm« jojrn>oa tneir way homo. They hastened round co Lo'ne-Btre>t to net to the b.ick of the promi*, to see how tho fire was situated before it had spread so far th it observations on this point woild be inele-B. Ou going down one of the owning* from Lom*-rtront. th^y mot the dividing fonoo t.t..«.™ tho urni"""--" frpnhng Lorneacrest. Thealutrawas given to those living m Tiißireighbourhood, and utter passing froni on« garden to another they at length found a gate* wuy leading into tho roar of the premisos on fire. The g\te Was open, or at leu&t not bolted or barred Jon the inside, and there was no difficulty in getting iv. The fire was found burning brightly just behind the back door, and appeared to be slowly extending a small projection to the southward of the baokdoor. No opening was made in the building, but as tho tire began to get a firm hold on this small projection a cunsidyrablo number of bottlea wwro heard to crack, and shortly atterwardi the flames forced there way through the floor to the upper storey at the back. Aa yet tbe firo had not burat through the boarding so much as to be seen at a distance, bub •t this stugo the firo-bells began to peal forth note, of alarm on the stillness of the n.orning air, and m » wonderfully short time multitudes of people catno trooping from all directions. The ifre forced its w*y through to the feont. The Fre Brigade by this time were on the scene, and were arranging their hose foy tho purpose of playing upon the burning mass. All hope of saving the block wai seen to be useless, and firemen were stationed on the roof of the brick building above referred to, for the purpose of staying its progress in this direction. Considerable activity was Bhown by Mr Hughes, and the police, under inspector Brohain aud Sub Inspector Pardy, wero active in maintaining order, and preventing the crowd pressing upon tho firemen. Much activity was ih >wn in currying goods out of the various shops, but the rapidity with which the fire ipread prevented inuoh being done ia respect. North and south of the empty shop the firs spread, and the crackling of Mr VVelsmin's bottles were heard at times abo^a the roaring of^Mis flames. From Air Welsoian'a the fire extendeifto Mr Turrell 1 * and the work of destruction wont on apace. The wind in the meantime was fortunately quiet, and the sparks were not carried so far as we hare teen on the occasion of former fires, and the danger of the flro spreadng by this means wm loen to be but small. The Brigade brought on tho ground the hook and ladder apparatus for the purpoae of pulling down tome of the buildings in Victoria ttreot to prevent it sweeping far round m that direction. At half-past two o'clock the fire had got a firm hold of the budding, and wis spreading rapidly to the back, aud on each side. In a very few minutes after Mes.rs T »nd H Cooke's Urga furniture shop caught on tho side, and the. firs extended at once to tho largo workshops at td» back, a building fronting Victoria streeD East, ia which Messrs Schmidt and Co, lithographers, once cir led on business. There was an enclosed passage between :hi3 and Messrs Cooke'a shop ia front. The fl imos khen embraced the building also fronting Victoria street that has been known for years as the Blue Post Dining Kooma, The signboard displayed tha Lame of T. Powel. Ihe heat in Queen street now became intense, and fears were entertained that the wood- wot k of the new ThevU-e iloyal would take fire, and wiso precautions were adopted to prevent the spark.3 troin iguMiig any looae shavings or pieces of wood. At fire minutes to three o'clock the frame of thp -building occupied as a haircutter's shop fell with a loud crash, and was enveloped in thft burning ma 8 At three o'qook the structure which had encloiad the shops of Mr Turrell's music depot and Mr WeUinin's fell to the ground, Pa> ts of the framework of the houses had fallen a* far as the centre of the road, and immediate steps wore taken to quench it. Ia a few minutes more the corner pile — T and H Cooko's prumisei — sunk to tho ground. The sparks at this time fell thickly as far as the open space behind the new theatre, but fortunately did no damage. The fire had jiow done its worst with the block of wooden bnildiogs, and the atten'ion of the Fire Brigade was concentrated upon the brick wall of Messrs Montague and Feudelow's premises. Thia wall was built higher than tbe gable, and with the slated roof proved, thanks to the unremitting ex-rtions of the l?ire B-igade, an effectual barrier to the further progrrss of the flames. A great deal of furniture, stores, <&c, was rescued, and piled up on the opposite pavements. The order observed, and the assistance rendered by the crowd of spectator*, were highly creditable Aa the fire continuad to spread, the resident! in Lorne-s'reec made preparations for the worst. One tenement after Another became emptied ot its furniture, which wis conreyod to plsoes of safety, and by tho time the progress of the tire up Victoria-street was arrested, all those likely to be endangered there had their household goods re nor d to places of safety, and themselr*s and their families placed out of danger. yhoitly before 3 o'clock large bodies of sailor* from H M ships in harbmr marched ripidly up tha street with buckets, &c, and willing rendered every assistance possible to the Fire Brigade iv their battle with the fire. Tho whole of the wooden block destroyed, except the Blue Post, was owned by Mr Philip Wright, of Londen. and tho Blue Post boardinghouse wsa owne 1 by Mr Scarrott, of the £aipara.

Übw Zealand. Cooke's buildings, amount imajcertainable. Moutague's buildiug £1,000 Tun-ell's stock 450 Farrell't Dimng-roomi (formerly Porter's) 3UQ Close Brothers 1,000 Victoria. /-*- Welsman's stick 600 Bine Po*t Dining-rooms 250 Montague* stock „ ... 1,200 lIIPBRIAIi. Blue Poit Diniog-rnoajs 600 South Bkitiih. Montague's 800 — Daily Southern Cross, May 10.

INSURANCE 8.