THE FIRE AT DUNEDIN.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 212, 21 March 1873, Page 3

THE FIRE AT DUNEDIN.

We give the'following further particulars regarding the fire which occurred early last week at Messrs Gribbs and Clayton's timber yard:— The enquiries of the Police tend to show that the first person to discover the fire was a Mrs. Gorman, who resides in the two-storey dwelling-house adjoining Gribbs and Clayton's. Her attention was attracted by the roaring of the flames, which was before the fire-bell rang. She went into the side of her house, nearest the factory, and shouted " fire." She saw no one about, till a man named Wilkinson, who lived next door, came out. He was wakened by her cries. He rushed into Cumberland street to Mr. Gibb's residence, where he got the factory keys, in order to. save -.the books and safe in the office. The fire was then confined to the back and interior of the building. This Wilkinson was the last person to leave the premises on Wednesday, having locked them up between half past five and six o'clock at night. The engineer states that lie left the premises in their usual condition at the hour mentioned by Wi kinson. that he put the damper down, banked up the fires, and shut the boiler furnace door, leaving nothing that he believes could take fire. The only probable solution of the eause\)f the fire is furnished by Mr. Clayton, who thinks the heating of a "journal" of one of the shafts of the machinery occasioned it. The man Wilkinson, and another of the factory hands, who were very early at the fire, say it must have originated near the boiler at the rear of the "building, which is borne out by the statement of the Distillery watchman. The following is the correct list of losses :

Gibbs and Clayton: Mill and Machinery, £4,000 • stock in Mill, consi stingyf doors and sashes, &c, £ 1,500; loss of rent from steam power, £l5O. Total, £5.950. W. Asher and Co., about £250. Spicer and Co., £SOO. Eendall and Co., £BOO. The machinery, &c, used by this firm belonged to Gibbs and Clayton ; Eendall and Co.'s loss is about £2OO. Goldsmith and Co., nearly £2OO. Total, £7,700. The insurances are : On Gibbs and Clayton's—South British, £I,OOO ; New Zealand, £I,OOO ; Victoria, £500; Scottish Commercial, £SOO ; Norwich Union, £SOO. These Companies had £IOO of the £3,500 risk on a small cottage at the .rear of the factory which was destroyed. Asner and Co., — New Zealand Co., £2.000. Spicer and Co! —New Zealand, £l5O. ' Goldsmith and Co. —Victoria Co., £IOO ; New Zealand, £SO. Eendall and Co. were uninsured.