SOUTHLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 156, 8 January 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

SOUTHLAND.

HORRIBLE OCCURRENCE AT INVERCARGILL. EIRE AND LOSS OE LIFE. [From the Invercargill Times, December 9], On Tuesday morning, about half-past 1 o’clock, a fire, which unfortunately was attended with fatal results, sccurred in Tay-street. The scene of the disaster was a cottage occupied by Air. Anderson, andsituated in the section adjoining Smith’s Victoria Horse Bazaar. About the time named, when the alarm of fire rang through the streets, although at that time there were few people about, it was not many minutes before a score of persons were on the spot ready to assist in every' way to extinguish the fire. It appears, from the few particulars w.nich could bo ascertained at this time, that the fire was first discovered by some one in the Union Hotel, nearly opposite, and thatamongst those who passed out of the hotel into the street, was the owner of the house, Mr. Anderson, who horrified those near him by stating that his wife was inside the burning house. This terrible circumstance was sullicieutly evident to some of those who ran to the house, by hearing the loud screams of a woman. By the time they got to the house —which consisted of two rooms, with an adjoining kitchen or lean-to—the whole of it was enveloped in a body of flames, and while some of the persons around procured buckets of water for the purpose of endeavoring to put out the fire, others attempted to effect au entrance into the house iu order to try aud save the poor woman. The fire, however, from the house was too fierce to allow

any one to get id, some men got to the back, and, at a great "risk of being burnt, burst opeu the door, when a horrible sight presented itself. They saw the burning body of the woman, lying on the floor, close to the door, which it is supposed she had not been able to reach. Several attempts were made to face the fire, in order to try and rescue the woman, but the flames drove the men back. Indeed it is probable that had they got the woman out at this time, her life would not have been saved. One of those who broke open the door, stated that the woman had the greater portion of her clothes on, and that she was lying vith her head close to the door. Across her arm, which was out-stretched, as if in the act of still trying to reach the door, a large burning rafter had fallen. I’inding that it was utterly impossible to save the poor woman from such a horrible death, the people near —by this time considerably increased in numbers—directed their energies to save the adjoining property—the Victorian Horse Bazaar,—and, although but a small number of buckets were at hand, by keeping up a good supply of water, which was easily obtainable from a couple of wells near the house, the spread ol the lire was arrested. At one time the Horse Bazaar was in great danger. Being composed of wood, the same as the burning premises, and only separated from it by about six or seven feet, it was mainly owing to the greabexertions used, that it was saved. A number of men got on the roof, and by having plenty of weter passed up to them, they kept it and the side wall of the Bazaar sufficiently wet to prevent the flames catching. In about halt-an-hour from the time the fire was. discovered, the house was reduced to a heap of burnt ruins ; from which, w’hen sufficiently cool to allow any one to go in amongst them, the remains of the body of the poor women were brought out. The origin of the fire is, of course, a complete mystery I'rom the fact of the poor woman being seen by those who burst open the back door, lying with her clothes on, the most natural supposition is, that she had been sitting up waiting for her husband, and that having fallen asleep, the candle had set fire to the house. One can easily imagine that being awoke by the fire, and half suffocated and stupefied by the smoke, she was unable to escape by the back door, and had fallen, hi attempting to reach it, in the position she was seen. After the fire was extinguished, Mr. Anderson was kept in the custody of the police, as he 1 appeared to be under the influence of drink at the time ; but lie was discharged in the morning.