FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1661, 17 June 1879, Page 2

FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

[By Telegraph. J DUNEDIN, June 17. At one this morning the message boy of the “ Morning Herald ” saw a light reflected on the upper window of Herbert Haynes’, and saw that it came through a right-of-way from a window of the Athenaeum. He at once raised the cry of “ Fire,” and within a few minutes the bell was sounded. The fire, when discovered, had got a strong hold in the room under the library, and had come up through the floor. Water was on quickly, but the fire extended into the library and reading-room, and soon broke through a portion of the roof. Four powerful jets of water were on speedily, and the fire was confined to the building. The loss is great. The walls of the building stand, but it hag been completely gutted, and, so far as can be ascertained, the whole of the books, except, perhaps, a few works of reference, were destroyed. The fire was in a thickly-built neighborhood, but, by great struggle, it was prevented from spreading to a wholesale painter's. The insurance is about £4OOO, the whole of which is taken by the New Zealand 00., and it is not probable that there is a re-insurance. Lateb. The Are is now subdued. An investigation shows that the egcape of the books is something wonderful. The reference library has not received any damage, the roof keeping off the water. The hooks of travels, scientific, political, and other valuable works, have escaped without damage either by fire or water. The novels are damaged by water, and strange to say, one side of the building, in which the rubbishy novels were kept, has been completely destroyed. Sven where the roof has been burnt, those books only on the upper ghelves are destroyed, and those below are only slightly damaged by water. The portion of tbs building destroyed is insured for £2OOO in the New Zealand Insurance Company, wh’ch covers all the loss. The night is very calm. LATEST PARTICULARS. Lieut. Oarmalt was the first to enter the building, and returned with the volunteer prize shield, but was unable to recover the fire brigade silver cup. The body of the fire in the library, s.nd tho general appearances indicated that it originated from the fireplace near the librarian’s desk. Tha public reading room was completely destroyed, but one-third of the library only was burnt. The damage done to tho books by the water is not considerable. All tho books in the further side of the library are saved. The building was in flames when the alarm was given, and tho firemen had a hard struggle against volumes of smoke before they could bring the water to play on the interior of the building. One fireman was injured by the falling of some bricks. The Reference Library and the reading room in connection with it were saved, but this was all that could be done. The Athenaeum was insured in the New Zealand Company for £3500: the