BLACKS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 828, 1 March 1878, Page 2

BLACKS.

—o— The most destructive fire that has ever occurred in this district took place on Sunday afternoon last the 24th February, resulting in the entire demolition of Gavan’s Shamrock Hotel, together With the furniture and stock of wines, spirits, beers and groceries; the property destroyed is estimated at the very lowest at about LISOO, and as there was only one Policy of Tnsurtmca in the New Zealand ovCr the property for L3OO the loss to Mr GaVan is LI2OO. An official enquiry into the cause of the fire was held in the Court house, Blacks, on Tuesday afternoon last before W. L. Simpson, Esq., Coroner and a Jury of twelve, of whom Mr . J. Pitches was elected Chairman. Mr W. M'Connochie, of Duustan Creek, the local Agent of the Company, and who effected the insurance. Witched tile enquiry on Inhalt of his office, The evidence adduced was as follows Louisa Waidfotl, deposed— lam a servant girl in the employ of “Mr M ‘lntosh, of Blacks Hotel. On Sunday afternoon last about 2 30. p.m. 1 was engaged in tl e pantry and looking towards Mr Gavan’s Hotel, I saw ashes coming out of the washhouse stove pipe, immediately afterwards I noticed smoke issuing from the door of the washhouse. Catherine Kane, servant to Mr Gavan, came out of the back of the house and went in the direction of the Coal-house, she passed the door from which the smoke was issuing ; she was walking fast, she then returned into the house. I did not see her carrying anything ; a few minutes after she came out again, and getting as far as the corner of the house she turned back suddenly. 1 did not he ir her cry out; smoke was then coming thick out of the door of the wash-house. I then went and told Mrs M ‘lntosh what I saw, and when I returned T saw Cavan’s house was in flames. Cath-, erine Kane did not on either occasion come out ot the wash house door. By the Jury : —I am sure it was ashes coming out of the wash-hiiusi: chimney. Ido not know the distance between the two hotels. It It was blowing very hard all the time. Martin Gavan, deposed ; I am a publican and owner of the Shamrock Hotel, with the exception of one of the ride walls and the back gable, the whole lot, together with the furniture and stock, was burnt down between 2 and 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon last. The whole was insured by the. New Zealand Insurance Company for L3OO. 1 estimate my loss at LISOO, with the insurance money deducted my loss will he 1.1200 ; there was between L4OO and LSOO of stock on the premises at the time, [ was away from home at, the time, having just gone out for a ride with a Mr Jones, ono of my boarders. Before I left I was in my bedroom and everything was then safe. The kitchen was at the back of the house, and between it and my bedroom there was a room used as a wash-honso, a door con--1 neoted the two. The partition between ! the wash-house and my' bedroom was i part of corrugated iron and part of scrim and paper. From the kitchen my bedroom could he seen. There had bech no fire in the wash-house boiler since the Tuesdayprevious. I have never known ashes to le taken from the kitchen stove and put into boiler stove. It was a portable boiler. I have no idea as to the origin of the fire. By the Coroner : I was about a mile from home when Mr Jones, who was with me, drew my attention to a large' body of smoke in the township. lat once turned and found it was my hotel on fire. - Katherine Kane, deposed : I am in the employ of Mr Cavan, On Sunday afternoon last, shortly after j dinner, I saw Mr Gavan going away. It was blow ing very bard at the time right into the back door. Before Mr Gavan left I went out for a bucket of coal and put it into the stove. I afterwards put the ashes from the, stove in a bucket and took it into the yard. About a quarter of an hour afterwards I noticed that the ceiling of Mr Gavan’s bedroom was on fire. I ran into the billiard room and told Mrs Gavan. I then looked into the room and saw- that the ceiling and part of the walls were all ablaze. 1 then went into my own room, and took out one of ray boxes.—Cross-examined i I was washing up the dishes when I first noticed the fire. I placed the bucket of ashes a-pi 0 ce out from Mr Gavan’s bedroom window, and close to the pump.—M, Gavan recalled, said : My bedroom Was at the back of the house, the gable and outside being of iron. If sparks we-c blown from the bucket of ashes, there is a pos-ibility ot some having goneundcr the roof. —The Jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict to the effect that the five wax accidental, hut doubtless caused from sparks from the bucket of ashes.

Great sympaty is expressed among all sections of the community for Mr Gar.an in his loss. I understand that steps will be taken to raise a subscription to somewhat cover the loss : should this be done there is little doubt an amount Will be gathered that will materially assist Mr Cavan to rebuild. Eye witnesses of the tire say that from the time the first evidence of smoke was observed ten minutes had not elapsed before the whole house and its contents were, not What is generally the ease, a Leap of ruins, but a mere handful of ashes, What with the wind, which was blowing half a gale at the time, and the quantity of spirits and other inflammable stuff on the premises, the fire quickly burnt itself out. The street in Blacks township is fortunately very wide, otherwise the Bank of New* South Wales and other buildings on the opposite side of the street must have caught and necessarily consume! : whcn-Tsay necessarily,, it. must be understo'd ttia f , saving a few wells,

to which are some most insignificant l.ttle pumps, there is little or no water v> Iclnu hundreds of yards. This very sad fire should be the means of inciting the people nf Blacks to action to obtain a water supply - there is but little or no difficulty in the matter—some few years ago an offer was made to construct a race to the rear of the Town with a good elevation, but it was not taken advantage of, if it was possible to do it then it is so now, and I reiterate that action should he immediately taken. I will turn now to a more pleasant sub. ject for the benefit of those who are not acquainted with the fact —I may state that immediately around Blacks, as also in the Ida Valley, at Tiger Hill, and at Glassford’s swamp there are large areas of land under cultivation ; without a single exception, or so far. as I could hear the crops are in splendid condition, and the yield yield is expected to come Up to anything ever before obtained. A large area is under wheat, and it looks splendid. There is but little mining carried on in tbo immediate locality, but the few who are so engaged appear well satisfied with their returns. Tinkers Gully, some seven miles distant is the seat of mining ; some of the claims there are of considerable importance, the annual yield in some instances lotting up to thousands of ounces. The system of mining is hydraulic sluicing,{and I should think, in so far as getting rid of a quantity of earth at the same time saving the gold is concerned, it is as near perfection as anything can he brought to.