View of Auckland from Rangitoto Island (960 feet high)
Showing North Head, Devonport, in the middle distance and the City and Waitakere Ranges in the background
Fires between ’71 and ’90 were numerous, despite the fact that the early wooden buildings were being replaced by bricks and mortar, but only those representing damages of not less than £10,000 are noticed here. A serious outbreak happened a few minutes before midnight on the 19th November, 1872. It was supposed to have originated in Mr. Frank Scherff’s store, on the northern side of Fort Street, and developed first on the western side of that building, involving the Pacific Fire Insurance premises and another; it then spread in an easterly direction to the buildings occupied by the Waikato Transport Company, Messrs. Bucholz and Messrs. Webb, and although these were divided by brick walls, they were soon ablaze. The fire then crossed the thoroughfare and attacked the Government buildings, including the Post Office, the Telegraph Office, the Customs House and the offices of the Provincial Council. The Fire Brigades, which were early on the scene, were blamed for allowing the Post Office to become ignited, but it is only just to state that the hoses were in a very bad condition, and handicapped the firemen in their work. The damage amounted to £50,000. The postal buildings, which were destroyed, cost some £30,000 to erect, and were not insured.
The most calamitous fire which had so far overtaken the city took place on September the 6th, 1873, causing the destruction of fifty-four buildings, mostly shops, business premises, and some dwellings, the damages being assessed at £70,000. The outbreak was reported to have commenced in Mrs. Powley’s millinery establishment in Queen Street, which occupied the site where Darby Street stands to-day, and so rapidly did the fire spread that in less than an hour the whole of the west side of the street, up to the United Service Hotel, at the corner of Wellesley Street, was ablaze; the fire then crossed Wellesley Street and its progress up Queen Street to the Anchor Hotel was as rapid as in the other block. Before it ran its course it involved an area bounded by Victoria Street, the old markets site, Queen Street and Elliott Street. While the fire was at its height there was a mild panic, owing to the fear that the conflagration would burn down the city. A large amount of damage was caused by over zealous helpers, who, in their endeavours to save property from the flames, threw household furniture, including pianos even, out of doors and windows, where many of the articles were smashed against the pavement.
Later in the same year another fire occurred, on October the 14th. Commencing either in the back store of Mr. J. Macfarlane or in Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, which were adjacent, the flames completely destroyed both premises, and extended to the buildings occupied by Messrs. Stone, Leaning, Bucholz (who had been burned out in the fire of 1872) and Ellingham. The damage amounted to £40,000.
A row of the few remaining wooden buildings which still survived in Queen Street, situated at the south-east corner of Victoria Street, were burned down in an hour and a half on May 10th, 1876. The fire extended as far back as Lorne Street, and caused damage estimated at £10,000.
Two timber mills were responsible for large fires, involving losses amounting to £10,000 each. The first of these occurred at the Union Sash and Door Company, Mechanics Bay, on July 25th, 1883; the other took place on January 10th, 1885, at the Auckland Timber Company’s mill, Customs Street, where half a million feet of timber was set on fire, creating a magnificent spectacle. The gas works, which were located near by, were carefully watched, in case of danger. At this fire the crew of the U.S. ship Iroquois rendered valuable help.
The last fire to occur within this period took place at the Phœnix Foundry, the business of Messrs. George Fraser and Sons, Stanley Street, on October 19th, 1893, causing damage amounting to five figures.
The weather was also the means of bringing about losses to the community, and the gale which struck Auckland on February 7th, 1874, caused the death of seven persons by drowning, and damage to shipping and harbour works amounting to over £12,000. No fewer than twenty-five vessels were either damaged or sunk during the storm. On the waterfront the embankments were breached at several places, and sheds injured or destroyed. The owners of small craft sustained extremely serious loss. In comparison with the havoc done in the harbour the damage inland was negligible.
In the previous section the shipping of the port was sketched up to the temporary service that took the place of the Panama Company’s service, which ceased in 1869. In 1871 an agreement was made by the Government with Messrs. Webb and Holladay, owners of the California Line, to run a fleet of four paddle steamers, viz, Nevada (2145 tons), Nebraska (2143 tons), Dacotah (2145 tons)—all of which were fitted with beam engines—and Moses Taylor (1354 tons), from Sydney to San Francisco. Auckland was again the port of call, but for a few trips at the commencement of the service Port Chalmers was made the New Zealand port of call alternately with Auckland, on which occasions Napier, Wellington and Lyttelton were visited en route. In 1873 the United States withdrew the subsidy, and, as the line had become unpopular with the Australian and New Zealand Governments, the service was ended. Another temporary service was run by Mr. Hall, first by the steamers Tartar and Mongol, and later by the Cyphrenes and Mikado; a few trips were made by the City of Melbourne. The route followed was by Fiji (Kandavu). An offer of the Pacific Mail Company, in conjunction with the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company of Glasgow, was accepted, and inaugurated in 1875, the Fiji route being followed until 1877, when the Honolulu course was adopted. The ships engaged in this service were Vasco de Gama, Colima, City of San Francisco, City of New York, City of Sydney, Zealandia, and Australia. The contract expired in 1885. The next contract was divided between the Oceanic Company of America and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand. The Oceanic Company put into commission the Alameda and Mariposa (3158 tons), and the Union Company the Mararoa (2598 tons). The latter was withdrawn, and was replaced in 1890 by the same company’s new liner Monowai (3433 tons). The Arawa substituted the Monowai in this service for a time, but in 1897 the Moana finally took up the run. In 1900, owing to the legislative enactment of the United States precluding any but American ships from plying between American ports, the Moana was transferred to the Vancouver service. The Alameda and Mariposa were also withdrawn, and were replaced by the Sierra, which inaugurated a three-weekly service from ’Frisco. She was followed by the Sonoma and Ventura. This service lasted till 1909, when the New Zealand Government followed the example of the United States, and withdrew the subsidy.