OTAGO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 361, 26 March 1866, Page 1

OTAGO.

EXTENSIVE EIBE IN DUNEDIN (From the Otago Daily Times, sth March). After several months’ freedom, from fire, our oitizens were, about 11 o’clock last night, started by the alarm hell, and a large number of them turned out to watch, or to try to check, a fire which had commenced in Maclaggan-street, and which very speedily swept over a largo extent of ground; destrying two hotels and a boarding house, and fully 30 dwelling-houses or other premises—all, of course, of wood. The Caledonian Boarding House, which was kept by Mr I Bailey, stood on the westerley side of Maclaggan-stroet, about midway between the Scandinavian Hotel, at the corner of Clark-street, and the Melbourne Hotel, which was higher up the street. It was in the Caledonian that the firS commenced. Certainly, the flames came first from the back of the house; and we have heard two stories explaining its origin, one being that a light was accidentally dropped iato some vessel filled with grease or fat in the kitchen', and the other, that it commenced in one of the bedrooms. The first blaze must have been very strong, for by the time those roused by the fire bell arrived—though it was so promptly rung as to be the first warning even to many residing near—the house was almost wrapped in fire. On every previous occasion of a like nature here, there has been great cause for thankfulness that there has been no, wind.. Last evening, there was nearly a gale from the northeast, which became the more dangerous from compression, as it were, in the gully in which the street lies. The results were. disastrous enough—will be more widely spread than those of any previous fire here; but there is still consolation for the community generally, that had such a wind been blowing from the opposite quarter, the fire would, in all human probability, have swept across the heart of the city, and done incalcuablo nischief. S,o rapidly did the flames spread in the Caledonian, that some of the lodgers were glad to escape, leaving their clothes and their money behind ; and a sick man was saved with very great difficulty, having to be helped through one the windows. The Volunteer Fire Brigade were very quickly on the spot with their apparatus; and there are one or two small streams in the neighborhood which yielded an immediate supply of water, although not a considerable one. As soon as the fire had thoroughly seized on the Caledonian, it was seen that the opposite side of the street was in danger; the premises there exposed to greatest heat at the moment being the Australasian Hotel, kept by Mr Campbell. The front smoked fiercely ; but some of the Brigade got the little handpump, and prevented a breaking into flame. Up the street the fire stalked before the wind, although it was less strong than shortly before the alarm; and downwards it did more than creep against the wind. On each side, in every house, &c., in the blocs? there was a struggle to remove stock and furniture ; and in one of them, a man was seen in an upper room, throwing things through the window, up to the instant when the fire, as by one flash, filled the place. There was a cry that tho daring fellow was lost; and there were those “ who saw him caught ” by the flames. We are glad to say, however, that this was not the case. The man dashed through, and got to the stairs, where he was safe, the fire not having entered there. We believe that it was Mr J. R. Mills who exposed himself to this risk. While the burning was extending in each direction, the Brigade had got more water; but the streams of water were whisked off by the wind, and they would have been of no effect if they had not been so made evidentally useless. Captain Bees was meanwhile endeavoring to discover a pomt at which an attempt might be made to limit the fire by pulling down some of tho buildings. But this was not easy, as some seemed to think. To have levelled a house fronting the street would have had no effect, for between that line and the rise of the hill to High-street wood buildings were were jammed in endwise and crosswise, so as to make a sort of a network, any one link of which would have been as effectual in carrying forward the flames as would have been the whole. Attempts at pulling down were made, but the men, though they stood in almost suffocating smoke, exposed to a very fierce heat, and to thick clouds of fireflakes, were driven off by the particular buildings being in flames before a stick could be hauled down. There was a narrow right-of-way between the Caledonian and the Melbourne Hotel; but it was no help-five times the space would have been overleaped.

In less than half an honr from the alarm, the Scandinavian on one side, and the Melbourne on the other, were bl izing; the remains of the Caledonian having settled now into a steady glare, marking a division between the two sections of fierce fire. The heat at the time was terrific. To leeward, myriads of burning patches were whirled, lighting up fantastically huge banks of smoke, which the wind could at first only urge on bodily. Far up the hill, beyond Graham-street, and in High-street, these patches fell, still burning; and the danger seemed so great, that at Clifton-house, as well as at the residences of Mr Rosenberg and Mrs Proudfoot, the removal of the funrnituro was commenced. The same was done in numerous smaller intervening dwellings j and in some cases it was fortunately done, for the buildings were destroyed ere the fire had burned Itself out. It did that, in feet, despite all that the Brigade did. The stsscside srsllsst the store of MrTaylor. were of

great service. That place was burned down ; but the walls so far stayed the flames as to stave for some time tho stables of Messrs Tomlinson and Co., carters 5 and though tho fire crept round and up the hill, and soon destroyed two or three dwelling-houses, the direction was the one in which least damage could be done. Messrs Tomlinson’s stables were, at last, burned enough to be useless; but then there was an end of tho conflagration in the direct line of the street. Fortunately, on the easterly side of the street, for a considerable distance over which destruction was spresd, there were no fauidlinga; and there are slopes and levels there whence street metal has been got, which afforded places of safety for furniture, and covering to many of the poor people who so suddenly found themselves homeless. It was a terribly picturesque sight, that of the grounds standing out from dark backgrounds on the steep side of the great shrub covered hill, in the strong glare of the fire, and the frequent enveloping of smoke, through which the light of the full moon could at best but glint feebly. Away in Highstreet, long lines of faces were visible; and there were other sights and associations connected with the Maclaggan street fire, which will serve to keep it in memory, apart from the fact that it was the most rapid from which Dunedin has suffered. For a distance of from 120 to 150 yards along Maelaggan-street, there is nothing left but embers and shaky chimney-stacks. The distance back to which the fire extended varies considerably; but at onepointitmustbeabout SOyards. Thefollowing list of premises destroyed is by no means a complete °oe —that could not possibly be obtained last night. It includes little more than those fronting Maclag-laggan-street; and we give it from the corner of Clark-street, taking the names from Harnett’s Directory in some cases:—T. Hudson’s Scandinavian Hotel j Thomas Dickson’s livery stables (fronting Clark-street) ; James Clark, baker and grocer; Miss Frederick, dressmaker 1 Mrs Davidson ; William Burns, bootmaker; Thomas Colquohon, livery stable keeper j Thomas Bailey, Caledonian Dining-rooms and Boarding-house ; two dwelling-houses; J.Harris; —Bisset,butcher; Oliver Cummings, storekeeper; two cottages ; G-. Watson, Caxton Printing-office; Mrs Wain wright, (a two-storey-house) ; Miss Cook ; J. Johnston’s Melbourne Hotel; a shop; Miss Alice Davis, a dressmaker; a cottage; Miss Jchastone; two cottages; J. Taylor, grocer and provision and spirit dealer; Scot and Reid, blacksmiths; Tomlinson and Co., wharf carters. The number of cottages at the back, and the names of their occupants, can only be learned by inquiry to-day. A considerable portion of the furniture in the premises fronting Maclaggan street could not be saved. Much of what was got outhad again to be removed, to avoid destruction by the intense heat; and it is to be recorded that men present refused to assist in this work when appealed to. This is the first time we have'heard such a complaint; but the authorities for the statement we make are unfortunately beyond question. Far up Maclag-gan-street, in High-street, and even in Staffordstreet, there was constantly danger to premises from the heavy flakes of fire which were so thickly blown about.

We hoar that Mr and Mrs Bailey were from home when the fire commenced; and probably from this arose the rumour that their child, or one of their children, was not saved. At least such must be hoped to be the case until the certainty of a loss of life is established. Two or three members of the lire Brigade met with accidents, and had to retire. The sick man mentioned above was taken to Godfrey's Alhambra Hotel. Particulars as to insurances were not obtainable last.night. Wo believe, however, it will prove that the Melbourne Hotel was pretty well covered, and that the Scandinavian and Colquhoun’s stables are partially insured. Mr Watson’s type was nearly aU got out; his presses, we presume, had to be left. The establishment was a small one. There should be a strict inquiry to-day as to the origin of this fire, which, although, in the value of property destroyed, is not to be compared to some here, will cause the greatest suffering to a large number of persons. As will be seen elsewhere, we suggest that a subscription for their relief should be at once commenced. (From the Otago Dally Times, 6th March). £15,000 to £20,000 may probably be set down as the money value of the losses caused by the fire in Maclaggan-street, on Sunday night; and it seems about certain that the loss is directly attributable to the neglect or the tipsiness oi the man who was employed as cook at the Caledonian Boarding House, in which the fire originated. •Inquiries made yesterday, mainly by detective officers, show this state of facts: —Daniel Watson, a very respectable man, who was lodging in the Caledonian, and was sick, went to bed about nine o’clock, and at that time there was a large fire in the stove, and cooking going on. The cook was in and out of the house several times ; and half an hour before the alarm, he got a glass of ala at the Scandinavian Hotel. He was then not tipsy. Watson was roused from sleep by another lodger, known as “Long Tom” shouting “fire;” and when he jumped out of bed and opened his door, ho was met by flames rushing upstairs from the direction of the kitchen. William Hash slept next to Watson; and they too, with Tom, were obliged to make for a window. They did this just as the flames burst through from below.* Watson got out safely; but Hash, in jumping, was so much shaken that he had to be taken to the Hospital, and the Resident Surgeon is of opinion that he hat received seme sever* internal

injuries. Edward. Levin elso suffered so much from Ms jump for life, that he, too, had to be taken to the Hospital. It is believed that the cook was away when the accident occurred which started the fire: at any rate, a fortnight ago he went away leaving a pot filled with fat on tho fire—there was a boiling over—and Mr T. Bailey and others who came to Ms assistance, had great difficulty in then preventing the destruction of the house. Watson believes that the cook was similarly neglectful on Sunday night j and he is sure that the fire began in the kitchen. Mr and Mrs Bailey were out taking supper with a neighbour j there was nobody fortunate enough to take Mr Bailey’s place, as the lucky enterer of the kitchen at the moment when the flames might have been stopped; and now he has lost all ho had. The house belonged to Mr T. Colquhoun, but all that Mr Bailey possessed was invested in the furniture and stock; and he was not insured. He had £250 or £2BO in cash and notes ; but no part of that sum was saved. To complete tMs part of the account of the fire, there was an insurance of £l5O on tho house, and £SO on the furniture, in the London, Liverpool, and Globe Office, but it expired about three mouths ago, and was not re* newed.

The livery stables mentioned yesterday as ad* joining the Scandinavian Hotel were the property of Mr Hudson, and are at present tenanted by Hugh Gourley. They were not burned, but a small portion of them was pulled down. Tomlinson and Co.’s stables, at the higher end of the cleared space, also escaped with very trifling damage, but the flames did not extend to them. The loss will be trifling. Messrs Scott and Reid’s smithy will need a good deal of repair; but repair is possible, the principal damage being to the roof. In the rear of the Caledonian, and rather more than half-way up the rise to High-street, stands a cottage, the escape of which was noticed by many on Sunday night. It was for a long while in great clanger, and it was seen to smoke freely ; but still it did not ignite. The cause was that the tenant, Mr R. Lewis, had a good deal of water in casks, &0., and bad more ready available from neighbors; and he and they used it steadily and so well that they saved the place, though the front of it is blistered, and the side is charred. Not a pane of glass Was broken. This was the preservation of a good deal of property 5 for if Lewis’s cottage had once blazed, the fire would have had an easy march through to High-street, just at a point where there is a row of two-storey dwellings and many cottages. Towards Grahamstreet, where the fire was checked by the nature of the ground, the last place burned was that occupied by Mrs Lowry, the owner being Mr Reid, of Scott and Reid. The next place which at one time seemed certain to disappear is occupied by Mr X). Ross. It stood several feet above the level of Mrs Lowry’s cottage, and some yards from it. The flames were not strong enough to reach across, and there were no fences or other out-houses to help them. The following list of the premises destroyed is not complete, but it is more nearly so than we at first hoped to be able to make.it. T. Hudson’s Scandinavian Hotel; Mr Hudson owned this hotel, the adjoining livery stables, two shops, and a house in their rear. The hotel was insured for £SOO in the New Zealand Company ; but there will be a loss of about £ISOO on the whole of the property. This is exclusive of furniture and stock. Of the former a great deal was hastily saved, and was taken to the Ship Inn, just below, which happened to be untenanted. Of the stock, there are five or six barrels of beer left in the wrecked cellar; whether the liquor has been spoiled or not, was not decided yesterday. Probably £2OOO will be about Mr Hudson’s total loss. James Black, baker and grocer, was insured for about £2OOO in the Royal Office. Hi a loss will be about £BOO. An empty house. T. Colquhouu’s bouse. William Bums, boot and shoemaker: less £l5O to £2OO. The Caledonian Boarding House stood next, divided from Mr Burns’s by a right-of-way. We have given some particulars of Mr Bailey’s loss above. It amounts to about £SOO. An empty house. Ralph Levy, owner and occupier of a cottage, which was not insured j furniture all destroyed. John Harris, house and furniture destroyed j the former having been the property of Mr James Kiigour. ■ The three next houses were owned by Mr James Souness. They were valued at £SOO, and were not insured. The tenants, who lost almost everything, were—Mrs Connor, a dressmaker, whose husband died recently. Mr Cummins, greengrocer and general dealer, who has a wife and seven young children; and Mr Randle, grocer and provision dealer, whose family includes his wife and five or six little ones. A cottage belonging to Mr G. Anderson, cabi-net-maker, valued at £7O, and uninsured. The occupants saved some of their clothing and furniture. Caxton Printing Office, George Watson: Just a week ago, an insurance upon the place expired, and it was not renewed. A good deal of typa was destroyed, notwithstanding the hard work of some “ brother typos ” in trying to clear out tha place; and tha presses defied all the attempts made to move them. Mr Watson also lost nearly all the clothing of bis wife and family. His loss will probably be near £-iOO.

Two bouses owned by Mrs Provost and Mr Lovell. There were some other buddings at the back belonging to Mr Lovell; and ho had an insurance ot £ISOO on them, in the Australasian office. We have notdieard the estimated amount ot liis loss. The tenants of the premises fronting the street saved a good deal of furniture. The Melbourne Hotel, James Johnstone; Mrs Johnstone has been managing the house for some time, her husband being at Gtrejmouth. There was a good deal of stock in the place, obtained only last week, and very little of it or of the furwas saved. A bag, containing between £6O and £7O in gold, notes, and cheques, together with somo jewellery, was saved from the bre; but subsequently, Mrs Johnstone and a friend were called away from the house in which they were sheltering, in order to identify some furniture, and the hag was left behind. When Mrs Jobnstoae returned, she found the bag and jewellery in it; but the gold, notes, and cheques had vanished. Such is the account given by Mrs Johnstone. One would like to think, if possible, that the money was mislaid or lost; but Mrs Johnstone is positive that it was not. The hotel Was insured in the Few Zealand Office for £500; hut a policy in another-office expired about ten days ago. Wo could not obtain an estimate of the loss. It must be heavy. Four cottages belonging to Mr Erookman; the tenants saved most of their furniture. Three houses or small shops, belonging, we believe, to Mr D. Davis. James L. Taylor, grocer, provision, and spirit dealer. Mr Taylor’s store was of stone; but the fire got in through the zinc roof and a door at the back; and upon the whole of his property and stock he was insured for £750 in the Imperial Office. He loses about £,,00. As to the houses at the back, we may take first die right-of-way adjoining the Melbourne Hotel. Here resided Mrs Stilling, who lias long been a sufferer, and upon whom an operation was to have been performed yesterday. She was removed to this house for quiet and convenience; end it is sincerely to bo hoped that tho-alann and hasty re-removal may not have had an injurious effect. Mrs Richardson, whoso husband is upcoumry, lost about all she had, A house occupied by a carpenter, whoso name we could not learn. Mr C. Anusirong, two or three cottages, in pno of which ho lived.—ln the nest right of there were destroyed:—The house of Mr Sheppard, which he owned and which was worth £SO, most of his furniture being saved, and Mrs Braithwaitc, who occupied part of the place, being similarly fortunate; Mr J. P. Auguetil’s, his loss being £250 or £300; Mr Waterhouse's, worth from £SO to £7O, and a second, which he bought about a week ago; Sir J. Coleman’s three houses; a row of throe houses, which wo could not clearly identify, but which were probably those occupied by Sir C’aincross, Mr Win. Ecid, and another, who were certainly amongst the sufferers ; A. Monaghan's house and stable; Mr Cooper’s and Contain Murdoch’s, which was woilh at least £IOO. Behind the Caledonian, there were four cottages belonging to Mr Bailey; and also Coiquhoun’a stables and le cd store, in which (here was an hydraul c apj aratus for cutting and pressing hay. He was insured for £2OO iu (ho Few Zealand office, but he mu-t lose a considerable sum. Mrs Reece and Hugh Courier, who occupied one of Mr Hudson’s houses, complete the list of (be sufferers, so far as we have been able to obtain it. There arc but a few, we belicvej not included ; and (lie list is, indeed, a sadly long one. We yesterday stated the number of houses, &c., destroyed to bo “ fully 30 but it will be seen that that was unfortunately much too low' an estimate.

A meeting of the agents of locally-represented Insurance Companies was held yesterday afternoon, at the offices of Messrs Houghton and Co,, Staflord strect. A statement of the destroyed property insured was handed in, showing ’the following offices to bo interested to the amounts stated : —.Royal, £200; Hew Zealand, £1200; Imperial, £7o0; Australasian, £hto. It was resolved that the necessary steps should bo taken to secure an inquest as to the cause of the tire, and that the offices sliould bo represented by a solicitor. It was also resolved, “That a memorial signed by the insurance agents bo presented to the Mayor, requesting him to take such steps as he may deem necessary for (ho sppoiutment of a paid officer to superintend tho pulling down of buildings at fires.” Mr Chahner was requested to present the memorial. This is a matter of great importance. It may bo difficult to decide to what extent the companies Should hold themselves liable in tho event of the pullin g down of insured property" ; 'and whether (ho Corporation should share the liability. But it clearly would be in every way advantageous that some one should bo enabled to speak authoritatively as to what should bo pulled down ; and that tne Captain of tho Brigade should not be left to act on bis own responsibility, and with a knowledge that bo will probably be sued for the value of the razed building, although if it had been left standing, every suck of it would have been consumed. Amongst tho incidents during (ho fire, the following may bo mentioned:—“Long Jack,” who was sleeping at tho Caledonian, is a steady, saving fellow. He was a lodger in one of the bouses burned in Hope-street some time ago, aud then lost all ids money. On Sun: ay night, lie bad in his trousers pocket a goodly sum which he bad again saved ; but he had to escape so suddenly ihat he thought hot of money, and has again lost his all. There were many such cases, no doubt, on this occasion ; hut probably no one except Jack was for the second time similarly unfortunate. In the Melbourne Hotel, one man slept so soundly, that after it was supposed the ledgers, were ail out, bo was discovered and dragged fiom bis bed. One of the small shopkeepers was found standing calmly behind. Ins counter, as if ready to serve a customer. Several children were in tho place, and the wife bad gone out to look alter “ baby,” who bad been taken by a neighbor in the first alarm. This shop was to leeward of the fire, which was tut a couple of bouses elf at the time ; bin when Bskcchrainer energetically whether be did not intend to get his children out, and to try to save §oui6 of his stuck, bo rejoined, Ho y ou think tho

place is in danger P” Mrs Levy had in a leather purse £l6 10s in gold ; and she believed the purse to be in a drawer, which she had safe. But yesterday morning she discovered that the purse was not ia the drawer. She at once decided that, this being so, she knew about the spot in her house into which it must have dropped; and, accompanied by a lad, she started to search 'amongst the rams for the gold. The steel top of the purse was found, and then the shrivelled bottom. A few minutes’ scraping, and there lay the gold, thoroughly blackened, but not really injured as coins. Mrs L evy values that money: and she says that she will want bread before she parts with a single coin of it. The story of a child of Mr Bailey’s being burned to death, proves, as wa expected, not to be true. Nor is it correct that Mr J. R. Mills was the man who was thought by those in the street to have been overpowered by the flames while saving property. We believe that-that credit belongs to Mr A. Hall, who was in the employment of Mr Black. But after Mr Hall was out of the building, somo of the on-lookers insisted that there was still a man in it; and then Mr Mills, accompanied by Mr Murray, undertaker, ventured up the stairs, and by stooping, each contrived tout along the floor of one of the rooms, so as to bo satisfied that there was not any one in either. On Thursday evening, the performance at the Theatre Royal will be in aid of the sufferers by the fire; and we are sure that there must be many of them to whom aid promptly given would be most valuable.