DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1629, 10 May 1879, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

[By Teiegbaph.l DUNEDIN, May 9

A most destructive fire occurred in Cumberland street to-day. Just at noon, as the men were knocking off work in the soap and candle factory of Allan and John McLeod, a small pipe containing melted tallow burst. The tallow come into contact with a plate of hot iron, and no sooner had it squirted over it than the place was in a mass of flumes. The men escaped with difficulty, and the fire got such a hold immediately that in a few minutes the whole of the extensive premises were an immense mass of flames. Tremendous volumes of black smoke rose, and the blaze of the tallow, resin, stearine, and other combustibles, was indescribable. Six or seven jets of water were got on speedily, and every effort made to confine the fire, but it spread to Davidson|s foundry, destroying part of their blacksmith’s shop, and setting fire to the fine three storey brick building in which they have their fitters’ shop and offices. By the fire McLeod Bros., who are most hardworking and enterprising men, a'e completely ruined. They are covered by insurances to the extent of dfiZSOO, but the damage amounts to at hast .£IO,OOO. Yery great sympathy is felt for them. They had only last night completed the erection of plant which one of the brothers had brought with him from Paris and Philadelphia for the manufacture of stearine candles, and it was to have commenced work on Monday. Davidson’s loss on boiler and fitting shop is covered by insurance, and amounts to 1500 at the very outside. Though the brick building took fire in the upper storey, yet, had it not intervened between the blazing tallow and the foundry’s pattern shop, which is of wood, the pattern shop assuredly would have gone. Ihe insurances were—Soap works, New Zealand, .£ISOO ; Standard, .£SOO ; dwelling, South British, .£300; loss .£BOOO over insurances; foundry, £IOOO in the Norwich Union, and £450 in the National; estimated loss £7OO. LA I EH.

The following are additional particulars of the fire at Allan McLeod’s. At about 11.30 it was discovered that there was a leak in the retort just outside the soapworks, and that the stearine matter was scuffling on to the retort. Bags of lime were plated on the heated iron, but the fire continued des>ite the efforts of the men, and by noon the flame* had spread to the roof, which soon took fire. The flames took such a hold that the works vere completely destroyed. Just before the brick walling of the candle works fell attention was attracted by a crash on the opposite side of the street. This was caused by a small lean-to, on fhe roof of which a number of small boys had coigregated, toppling over, bnt fortunately no cm was hurt. Included in the losses, there have been destroyed 100 tons of soap recently nanufactared and valued at =£2ooo. The fee at the foundry was confined to the ergine and boiler shop. While the fire was it its height several sensational reports were ci-culatcd. First it was stated that the boiler iad exploded, but after the fire had been got unter the boiler was found to have stood the great bat it was subjected to. Tbo noise which gave ri.« to this misstatement was caused by a falling wall. There was no resin in the building bnt some sixty casks had been received yesterday, swd were this morning stored in the open yard.

COURSING NOTES, By Bonus. The following are the names of thos-. holding nominations for the CanterHirj Club meeting, to be held May 23rd and 21th. The draw will take place at the Shades Hotel at 8 p.m. on the 21st : Birthday Stakes (No. 1), for Puppies— Messrs, Birch, Deacon, Laird, Hill, Simpson Hole, Board, Porter, Duncan, McColvell, Judge. . Birthday Stakes (No. 2) Messrs. Deacon, Duncan, Beard, Hemmet, Simpson, Porter, Cassidy, Hurse, Hill, Laird, Judge, Walker, Kite, Publicans’ Plate. —Messrs. Bull, Hooper, O’Hrien, McColvell, Deacon, Miles (two), Cameron, Wagner, Porter, Raveuhill, Hill, Eraser. From the above it will be seen the first meeting here will not be very great as regards quantity, yet as long as quality is represented no one can grumble, for nothing is more painful to witness than a lot of rubbish going from the slips. Why owners of long tails ha ,: e not conic better to the front in a stake like the x übbbr.ns’ Piste is surprising. The added money in itself is a good bait. The reason must be I fancy that some are bottling up their dogs, and I would remind such that tin se kind of dogs seldom or never perform well. Take for instance what that well-known man, Mr Jas. Blake, sa yg .— Empress, after shew<m the Waterloo Cup in 183!), never ran again until the following Cup, and got Well beaten, yot a week or two afterwards she won the (Jaledoniau Cup, 32 dogs, at £lO ICL each. Zazel and Whistling Dick in the last Cup aud Coomassie would probably have shared the same fate had similar tactics been followed. On the other side it must be uoticed that wheu the Earl of Seftou’s Senate ran in the Great Clifton Cup, he won two courses, and then got a single-handed gtttelling, having to be carried off the ground. Three weeks afterwards he won the Blue Riband easily. Lobelia won the Produce rStakes at the Ridgway Club meetiug January 30th, 1807, with 50 degs, entered, and on February 20th carried off the Waterloo Cup. There is nothing like plenty to eat and plenty of work for a greyhound. Again, take the Waterloo Cup this year, won by Mistertou. He was not bottled, far from it, and a rank outsider in the bitting. His owner, Mr Miller, has not before held a nomination in the Gup, but is a well known aud much respected courser. Mistertou is a black dog by Contango out of Luia, never hrving won a stake before appearing at Waterloo ; but all the coursiug at Altcar is to say the leatt flukey, no doubt this year more so than formerly. What with the frost aud snow, trainers must have had a hard time of it, and many dogs came on to the field only half fir. The Waterloo Cup is certainly not the place where a real good dog will shiue through the pick of the picked ones, as there the best dog seldom wins ; a good killer and one fast from the slips is sure to go wed up in the stake. From Home advices, I find that the Contango blood is doing wonders there. The second in the Craven Stakes at Ashdown, Emerald is by Contango out of Pearl. Master Sam too in the Cup ran well, but had the misfortune to encounter a wire fence, and was drawn lame, the stake eventually being divided between Brevity by Farrier Ex elance, and Meol’s Boy by Peasant Boy—Smiling Morn Peasant Boy will aon be within reach of New Zealand cotirsera, as he is now on his way to Melbourne, aud his stock are performing well. Brevity, the winner of the Ashdown Stakes, claims Peasant Boy as his sire, also Barbican, the winner of a stake at Newport. I had the pleasure of seeing this splendid dog run when a pup at Newmarket, and a faster dog I never saw leave the slips, as well as being fairly clever with his Verily, Northumberland is a great place for the noble sport, as in the week ending March Bth there were no less than five good meetings held in that county. The North of England Club hold no less than nineteen meetings during the season, and all their ground lies at least seventy miles from headquarters ( 'ewcastle), yet all the talent and followers of the leash from that coally town may be found on the ground. This is truly good form. With regard to our local meeting, although numbers are short, I fully expect some good sport. The following I hear are in strong work, and doing well—Blue Cap, to represent the worthy secretary (I believe Mr Walker will also let ua see some of the Contango blood perform for the youngsters’ prize), Tam O’Shanter (imported from England) to represent Mr Miles. I also hear that his slut Banner (imported) arrived last week from Oamaru, and was sent to New Brighton. I should much like to see Tam perform well, as his owner has shown good pluck in importing first-class blood. Papanui, a very promising slut by Prince, owned by Mr Judge (I hear that she run a good trial last Monday, and pleased her owner very much ; from this I do not think she will disgrace the reputation she bears). lam told that Belle, in Mr Roper’s interest, had a slip last week, but I am not informed as to the result. Mr Hill’s pup by Regent, winner of the Sapling Stakes last year, has grown into a splendid dog, and should hoist his flag after a few times, as 1 understand he is to run for the Puppy Stake, I am sorry that the vexed question of Russian Emperor and Master Walter will not have a chance of settlement at this meeting, as Mr Parker’s name is absent from the list of nominators. lam sure that the owner of the Emperor would be glad to have another crack at Walter. The latter will, I believe, be held for Waterloo. I have also seen Mr Deacon’s dark pup, but cannot hear how he is shaping at his work, Jessica, also belonging to this gentleman, is in work, but she has been suffering from blotch, so I expect to see him represented by Borgia, I am glad to learn that the Canterbury Coursing Club have made arrangements with Messrs Mitchell and Elder, the leasees of the North and South Parks for the sole right of coursing there this season, and it is the Club’s intention to prosecute anyone found coursing there without the permission of the Club.