LATE EIRE AT OAMARU.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 254, 5 April 1875, Page 3

LATE EIRE AT OAMARU.

A writer in the North Otago Times says that, during the late fire at Oamaru, “excited me n were rushing about here, there, and everywhere, literally as mad as hatters, saving cases of glass from the fire to pitch them on the street, smashing them to a thousand pieces, chopping down windowsashes, bursting in windows and shutters, thus giving all the draught possible to the flames, dragging articles of furniture out anyhow (just as well have let them be burnt as break them into fragments), even chopping down inside door-posts, with what earthly object it is impossible to conceive, and, generally, with the very best of inten tions, doing all the damage that was in their power. But there was a worse scene than this; lots of mean, dirty thefts were committed, not a few with the true spirit of wreckers carrying off anything they could lay their hands on; and yet still worse, for a large number of sottish creatures eagerly seized the splendid chance for them of the Alliance Hotel being on fire to lay hands on as much grog as they could get at, and were themselves got out with difficulty from the billiard-room, where they were found standing round the table, each with his bottle, guzzling away, and most of them already intoxicated, while the fire was actually raging close to them.” We would fain hope, for the credit of humanity, that this picture has been somewhat overdrawn. It is most disgraceful if truly sketched.