THE GREAT FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Kumara Times, Issue 924, 16 September 1879, Page 4

THE GREAT FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

The following is an account given to a Daily Times reporter, by two young men, named Grant and Jenkinson, who occupied a room belonging to Mr Wilson, and fronting the street off the third story, being that at the corner next to the Athenaeum :—Next to their room was one occupied by Fred and Robert Wilson, then came a room occupied by Lily, Louisa, and Sarah Wilson, and the servant Maggie McCarthy; and next to this room, directly opposite the stairway, was Mr and Mrs Wilson's bedroom, in which their son Oliphant also slept. On the opposite side of the passage was a long room looking to the back, in which four servant girls, waiting for places at Mrs Wilson's Registry office, slept. Grant was awoke by the cry of "Fire," and roused Jenkinson, They lit a candle and found the room full of smoke. Looking out of the front window, they saw the flames coming out of the cafe windows on the ground floor. At the same moment, two men, evidently boarders at the cafe, came to their door attracted by the light and crying, " For God's sake show us an outlet." Grant opened the door, and the room filling with smoke and heat, he and Jamison made for the passage. Neither thought of their watches underneath their pillows, nor did Jenkinson remember a purse with about L 6 in it on the |table. Grant was fortunate enough to pick up a pair of trousers in which L2 were. He also as he was going out of the door picked up another pair of trousers and his volunteer carbine and cutlass. Both tried to explain to the two men to follow them and they would show them the stairs. One of the men caught hold of Jenkinson and held on till nearly at the top of the stairs but then let go. As they reached the top of the stair a tongue of flame was roaring along the passage. How they reached the bottom floor neither knows, but after getting outside and having a breath of fresh air, the subject of what had become of ihe two men and the children was broached. The two agreed to go up stairs again, and although they desoribed the heat as something fearful especially on the centre floor, they did get up, Grant leading. Just on the landing Grant found Louisa Wilson whom he took in hia arm 3. It was impossible to go any further, and another scramble downßtaira succeeded. Both state that when they turned to go back they despaired of reaching the bottom again. However, they did so, both getting burned on the hands, and also on the face slightly, with the addition of a good deal of singeing about the hair. On the way down they met three policemen attempting to make their way upstairs, but these "were unable to get beyond the first landing, where they sang out to attract the attention of those above. Grant took Louisa Wilson to the Octagon Hotel, In the meantime Lily Wilson had got out of her bedroom window, and had laid down at full length upon the parapet below the windowsill to escape a toDgue of flame coming out. Jenkinson saw her, and a blanket having been got, he called out to her to throw herself down. She did this, but striking an archway over the street door, she gave a rebound outside the blanket, and fell on the pavement. Jenkinson picked her up, and carried her to the Octagon Hotel. She was quite sensible, and complained of her back. While Lily was at the window some one come out of Fred Wilson's window. Jenkinson believes this was Fred Wilson] He clambered along the parapet till he reachtd the corner, and when Jenkinson went away with Lily he was hanging on to it by the hands. Neither Jenkinson nor Grant, who was also one of the four holding the blanket for Lily, saw anything of the other Wilson children, nor of Mr aud Mrs Wilson, nor of Maggie M'Carthy. They did not see anything either of the four servant girls, who slept in the long bedroom opposite to theirs, so that possibly one of the adult women lying at the Hospital may be one of these servant girls. The young men themselves escaped with nothing but coat and trousers. The late Mr R. Wilson was nearly 60 years of ago. In his youth he was connected with American, newspapers. I believe he started the Advertiser in Inglewood, Victoria, and conducted it with spirit and profit till the fire in 18G2 left him a ruined man. Shortly afterwards he was induced by Sir Julius (then Mr) Vogel to come to Dunedin, and on arrival here found employment in the Daily Times office, then partly owned by Sir Julius. Mr Wilson was for a great many years publisher of that paper, and vacated the position about four years ago to conduct the Witness, the editorial chair of which be» filled up to the time of his I death. Mrs Wilson was nearly 40 years of age. The ages of the children- who perished with them were—Frederick 19 • Robert 10; Sarah, 8; and Lawrence Oliphant, 4.

As to the origin of the fire, there seems to be little doubt that it broke out in a sitting-room at the back of the dining.room, on the second floor. Mr Waters W ?L tha . t .\ mmedi ately before retiring to bed he v. B ited the room, and although there was a fire then in the grate, it had vLnS a lf^ ed - reat e-cftemen pre vailed all day while the search for the bodies continued, and the ««t P a 9 " issued periodically bv the LnJL largely sought for. * * papers were