LOSS £10,000.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1803, 31 March 1888, Page 3

LOSS £10,000.

(PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Wellington, March 29

The Opera House waß destroyed by fire at six o'clock this morning It was insured for £5030. Tne loss is £10,000,

Later. The estimated loss over the insurance on the Opera House is £10.000. At nine last night when the custodian made hie inspection everything was all right.

A rumor ib afloat that two men were seen leaving by the family circle entrance at fire m the morning-, but it ia doubted ; though had the men been ia the theatre they could leave by that entrance and lock the door by pu'.iing it to after them.

A portion of the walla at tho back of the bui'ding tre dangerous being crocked and bulging out. This will probably be palled down. It is asserted that immediate steps will be taken to rebuild

A box of screamers, liiho^rapha, etc., of Miss Amy Sherwin, who was to open, was destroyed. fortunately, however, her wardrobe had net been sent there, but was to go this morning.

The following particulars are abridged from the account given by the " Evening Post" of the 29th mat :— Tho fire broke out at a few minutes before 6 o'clock, A.m., and apparently originated at the bottom of the Btaircase leading to the entrance to the family circle. An attempt WM made to play a stream of water from the staircase it to the burning materials, bat co mcch cm >ke was encountered that Captain Page 'and his asaiatsntß were unable to carry cut their Intention, and, m fact, were driven back to tbe ground floor. In the meantime the other effisera •nd members of the Brigade haa bbMmbled ca tho ecene, and m leas than 10 minutes after the Brigade had arrived half-a-dczen splendid streams of water were on. One of thoße from the Manners afreet main was diiected on to the roof, ai>d tbe other four were played upon the burning mass through the entranoes to the family circle and the dreee oircle, bat the fire barned so fiercely that the men were unable to check Its advanoe to the seaward end of the building, and with the exception of the woodwork In the lower portion of tbe front shop the Interior of the houee was completely coninmed. The four walls were left standing, bat that on the southern side is co badly cracked that a portion of it will have to be pulled down at once, so that it may not remain a danger to people passiug aloDg the lower end of Cuba street. The fire rsged furiously until 7 o'clock, and fcubsiied aa soon aa the whole of the internal woodwork between the back of the pit and the rear of the stage had been reduced to ashes. A brick wall ran np from the bottom of the building at the back of the pit, and prevented the fhmes from spreading to the front of the house to any extent, otherwise not an inch of timber would have been left nnoonsumed, Mr George Smith, the Secretary of the Opera House Company, and his wife and ohild were sleeping m a room above the stage at the time of the outbreak, and were only aroused m time to escape with their lives. Mr Smith has lo3t everything, including a silver watch and gold chain, furniture, and wearing apparel, and the whole of Mrs Smith's ciothing has also been consumed. Mr Smith mado a tour of the buildings late last night, aa was his custom before retiring to rest, and he then satisfied himself that there was no ■Ign of fire about the premises. No performance of any kind took place m the Opera House last night, and, so far as he is aware, he was the only person in 'the building for hours before he went to bed. He is quite at a loss to understand how the fire occurred, but says there is not the slightest doubt m Ills mind that it broke out at the back of fie oyater saloon. The total amount o c insurance on tha building was £5000, divided as follows :— Colonial, £1000 ; South British, £1000 ; Fhcenix, £1(100"; New Zealand, £750 ; Equitable, £750 ; (£250 re-Insured with the Standard) ; National, £500. Both Mr Williamson and Mr Shakes were uninsured. The former estimates his loea at £100, and the latter at £80, Tbe building; was erected at a cost of £17,000 m 1886 on the cite of the former Opera House, which was also burnt down, Kb destruction occurring m 1879. It was more elegantly fitted up than any buildiDg of the kind m Australasia. It was built of brick, and contained two galleries, and was capable of fc^ommadaU'cg 1500 persons. The stage was 60ft deep and 58ft wide, with a height of 76ft from tbe concreted cellar to the apex of the roof, The cartain was 30ft square, and mado of alternate widths of crimson Bilk rep and old ['gold silk damaak, relieved by colored flowers. Tho drop scene, or more properly speaking the act drop, was painted by Mr J. 8. Wiilip, the well-known scenic artist, and represented a heavy draping of blue and amber satin, with bullion fringes. Tn the middle was a beautiful landscape representing Stratford on Avon, and beneath was a bußt of Shakespeare on a marble pedestal surrounded by ancient vasea and griffin?. The houso waa opened on thu 17 ,h November, 1886, by Messrs Lei t oh and MacJJlahon, when the " Silver King" was produced m the presence of bis Excellency tbe Governor and suite and & crowded audience.

Sydney, Maroh 30. A serious outbreak of typhoid fever has taken place at the Broken Hill silver mines.

A Conference of delegates from the various Chambers of Manufactures is fixed for June 6th.

The books and vouchers which were missing from the municipal offices have been discovered m the storeroom of the Town Hall.

A gatekeeper on the Parramatta railway line, m attempting to save the life of a little girl who had wandered on the line, was run over and killed.