BURNING OF THE RAILWAY OFFICES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 124, 25 May 1880, Page 4

BURNING OF THE RAILWAY OFFICES.

Monday's Otago Daily Times gives the following account of the fire which broke out; on Sunday morning in the Supreme Court buildings, which, during the past few months, have been used as railway offices. The part in occupation was almost wholly burned, the southern wing. only escaping uninjured. This wing was to have been occupied as offices by the accountants' department if, as was at first intended, it had come from Christchurch, but this indention was not carried out. The northern wing of the buildiDg was not entirely burned, but it is considerably damaged. It was used by the Railway Telegraph Department, under Mr Floyd, and happily some of the early arrivals on the scene were employees in the department, who net about getting out the instruments. This was accomplished successfully, and thus very valuable property was saved. Some of the furniture in the Commissioner's (Mr Conyers') office was also got out, and some of the bocks, we believe ; but his office suffered severely. The main portion of the building was divided into offices held by the Commissioner and 1 staff, the locomotive engineer (Mr Armstrong), the resident engineer (Mr Lowe) and assistant engineer (Mr Maltby). These offices were situated principally in the old Courthouse room. This portion is very badly gutted. Mr Armstrong's department has, we believe, suffered most severely, every book and scrap of paper about the rooms beiDg wholly destroyed. The books of the resident and assistant engineer's department had been placed in the strong room, and were consequently saved. Everything else, however, in connection with their departments has been destroyed, including many valuable planß. The general loss is of such a. character that the value cannot be measured by figures. Recently the whole staff of the various departments bad been engaged in getting up estimates, returns, and other^inforination in view of the meeting of Parliament, and the whole of the results are now destroyed. Many of the papers in - the ruins are only charred to an extent, and a careful overhaul may enable many 6f value to be saved. The loss in stationery and in printed forms, &c, must be very large, judging by the quantity strewn about the spot.