MUSEUM BURNED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 13

MUSEUM BURNED.

KILMABNOCK'S IRREPARABLE LOSS.

.A, disastrous, iiro occurred'.at Kilmarnock, -. Scotland^': recently, the. publio; library, and museum known by the name!of. the Dick Institute, being gutted, and most of its contents .'destroyed.': ..-'," '';■:-■ .:•'•';. ■ The, Institute.- was... gifted. to i - the town by .: one:: of :its ; : most: successful' natives, the late. Mr.' James Dick,.:of Greehhead Gutta-percha" Works; Glasgow, 'and-, was formally; opened -.on-.April. 30,; ISOI, ;.by. Mrs.. Dick, wile ■; of '■: the generous V donori The Institute had -.a stately appearance, and occupied a splendid 'site on the estate .of ' Elmbank, London Eoad,-: about 400' yards from-.theCrossi,: The. front portion "of. the' building was of two .storeys, and the -wings one storey,' the -frontage being. -138', feet' in i' length, >'■ with a' total depth of :/,;.'::>- :'.-'.

•■;, Tho .cost' of < the (building. was something like(.£20,000.;;.:.;((;,;:;;■:, ';;;:'";;:,';. ■;,■."*

,-Thlj fire broke, out shortly' before five o'clock;;; Aii ; ;alarm: was' immediately. raised; and ; 'the. firo; brigade '■': was "summoned, .- but'the;'flames,-'had 'obtained■ a firm hold-of the! roof,; and spread: with great, rapidity.: The "outbreak originated in the right wing, of the'building, which was,, occupied-as ono .of-.the sections" of thO; ; .museum, :and: iri'.'less- th'an'half an hour.part' of. thorobf fell in'-witb.'a"crash".' ■rlmiir'e,;brigade was .'absolutely helpless t6:'copo;w.ith -the' bouilagrntion,.• and the pressure, of water; being :ciitirely .inadequate ;to meet the emergency, the- flames were;,practically 'allowed:■ to: do'- their '• devastating .: Work without: hindrance. «'"':'■'. ; Meanwhile-many willing-, workers', began at..tho, opposite "end;of, tho : building b. remove .the books; from' the reference department; and; a crowd of several' thousand .people gathered around the-se'ene of ■;tha conflagration',--:' '>■';..'";■■,-:;..'.,-; ': .lhe' right .;mug jhavinj/beeii':entirelT ; gutted, ■;tlie.-flatacs"contmu6d' '.'on'- their' destructive;.;'course; towards : .'the- Leoture Hall, wherb niany.vinteres'ting'and .valuable; pictures were" hung; "and. on -to the. horary, in which (there were nearly forty' thousand ; volumes; ■< vlh addition; to (the' pictures, which - ,, were '■pc'rniaiie"iitly i '"'.bn''' View t i!i; the' teturo'.'Hall," there-was'-a: singularly-; fine. .collection on loan from the.family,.of-/.the'-lato Hbnii'-Q/'iE.'yVerr jion, of Auchans, and- a'nunibcr: of works by local artists: had been';lmng ; for- the : Christmas and "New"--Year: exhibition,", un-' :der .the.auspices : of 'the .Kilmarnock: Art Giub. ■; Fortunately;, all the, pictures had boon saved,;a band of active and thoughtful .workers having, started" their removal ,qn seeing .the danger!'-;..;; ;;:-.,:;;.■::•'.' ,; ;-The greatest loss has undoubtedly been' .sustained m;''.^.destruction "of the icontents .of: the;'nlusoum.;;,The' collections .wore, of : ,a singularlyi.uniq'ud 1 and' valuable; .character; .•.cbmprisine "•as'.;they, did the, famous ..geological'.collection of' the? late Mr..' James; Tlipmsonf F.G.S;;'and "a' considerable; proportion.;' of '.thoC'equaliy famous,: collection : of -ouribs' 'which ' be-' longed to the' -iato''■'. Dr! Hunter' Selkirk,-! of.Braidwood.v.bbth of. :which;:had.been' gifted, to. the (community, (by; those gentle-1 men; (';■;' .";'■.;;,•;:' < .\»;'-. (. ;'.'.'■'.-.'; : .••';■■;;, ;■■".'• ,". ■

'■ ~ ■yhe l .Th6mson' > «)U€6.t^on:^'wa9'x'6iside^ed■ , tq-.bo; one of/the; finest'.in Europe/'the corals.-being : its 1 / ''outstanding -feature. .These were .'said:to':.be/uhequalled,',''hun-: (lwds. of ..the: s'pecihiens'., being- unique,', many "of/the types' affording .the", great-" est. help: 'to ■ geological";'students'.' ''-"'i 'The Braidwood collection! waV-iiliso.'.'bf the most' interesting ; cKaraotdr,' comprising,: in -' addition, to i; .varied- and extensive' assortment of-'minerals,', hundreds ■of;.oj,d Bibles,communion .tokens, >.watches/; watch' keys, coins,'; relies of battles', and - other buriosi-. ■ties of monetary value,;and'■ suoh .as can never bo,'replaced;'.'.',.■."'. '-";'.-■;/!,/.:.'■'!.;. ;. Among - .the .other; contents of', the - niu-seuni..is;'a'.-rare collection' of geological specimens-;, presented •' by, the.-Key/' Dr.' Landsborough;-;tlie : . rich.; harvest v.bf; a quarter of ; a: century's wise- collecting and. grouping,- and :to which additional value' waslont from ;thb fact, that, they were all from the: pits and/quarries inland around ■Kilmarnock,: many "of which .are , how: closed'up.;/':; .-'.v ! '''-'.)r-''. : .'-! , ; - ' ; "-]j.!;.':' ;-;• The-damage must/ amount! .-£50,000. -.".'The-building'-'itself 'cost- about' '.£20,000.... The: wholo placerwithr.its- contents, is,insured f0r.^22,500.'-' : /. - ■'•:-