LATER PARTICULARS,

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1494, 28 February 1887, Page 2

LATER PARTICULARS,

Wemington, February 23. The rulna are still smoking and the fireman have to keep the hose playing. The exact time at which the fire was first discovered yesterday was 40mins past 4. Constable Liddle passed the establishment and heard a Bound as of a pane of glaat amaahing. Half suspecting the proximity of thieves the constable looked m. the window but oanld not see any sfgn of fire op anything else unusual. He then went up the right of way between and saw the reflection of firo m the baok of the shop. Bursting the front door open he found the place fall of smoke and pave the alarm. Bsfore ha got baok Huxley's was on fire|from top to bottom. At the rear of Auvley'a shop was a semi* detaoted building used byjOrr, of the Oity Buffet, as a toirdlnghonse. Heie ifc appears people slept and there were 4 there on Saturday night named Palmer, Harding and Jackson and another. The> were m the bed upstairs, and the constable knowing tfyat people were In the habit of sleeping thero kipked figoroujy at the frqnt door aqd blew his whlstfe. He did not hear any response and wept off to give alarm under ' the Impression there was no one on the premises, Hie Palmer, however, heard him, and having awakened his oompanirns, they at onoe started to come downstairs, when they ffore met by smoke t)o dense In them to penetrate. They want baok at once and KMn&g«d to make their esoape by climb* ing over the rear of Barrand's premises into the rear of Clarke's boardlnghouse, whence they went into the street, Huxley states he left his shop at a quarter to ten on Saturday night, at whioh time ho says everything was safe, Ughti out and doors locked and barred. Juit at the rear of the shop was a small yard m which there was lying about a quantity of material. This had been used 'for stuffing mattrasses and was Inflammable of course. The oonstable Is clear, however, that the fire when he first saw It was confined to the baok part of the shop. Kennedy McDonald had tiro safes, one a specially strong jewellery burglar-proof. In both, however* the contents werepraotioilly destroyed, ■ been' re'duoed to tinder Maglnnitv'o safe when, opened had prg

served everything, the contents beiDg only slightly singed. Laery and Campbell a'ao htd documents In their safe partly destroyed. Buokley and Stafford's strong room seemed to havo stood the teet all eight, but cannot be opened yet. Great disinclination is generally Bhown m assisting the removal of goods. Shannon Implored people to help and offered to pay, with little result till too late. The exertions of the Nelson's men will probably be suitably recognised. The following insurances are to bo added to the list already sent. Norwich Union, £2000 ; Royal, £2500; Manchester, £2500; Northern, £2500 Iv the list already sent reduce Phoenix to £3300 and Sun to £1900. The total will then bf1e62,850. It is now considered the loos may be put at £50,0*0 beyond the Insurances. One result will be to throw large number of people ont of employment.