DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5683, 17 June 1879, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

NARROW ESCAPE OF THE DUNEDIN ATHENAEUM LIBRARY. (PER PRESS AGENCY.) Dunedin, Tuesday, 3.39 a.m. At a couple of minutes past one this morning the message boy of the Morning Hciald office saw a light reflected on the upper window of Herbert, Haynes, & Co.’s shop, and saw that it came through a right-of-way from a window at the Athenmpm. He at once raised the cry of Fiz-e,” and' within a few minutes the hell was sounded. The fire, when discovered, had a strong hold in the room under the library, and had come up through the floor. The water turned oa quickly, but the fire extended into the library and reading-room, and soon broke through a portion of the roof. Fourpowerful jets of water were on speedily, and the fire was confined to the buildings. The loss is great. Tho walls- of the building stand, but it has been completely gutted, and so far as can be ascertained the whole of the books, except perhaps a few works of reference, were destroyed. The five was in a thickly - built neighborhood, but by a great struggle it was prevented from spreading to a wholesale painter’s close by. The insurance is about £4OOO, the whole of which is taken by the New Zealand Company ; and it is not probable that there is a re-insurance. The loss, however, is fully four times that amount. LATER. The fire is now completely subdued, and drowned out. An investigation shows that the escape of the books is something wonderful. The Reference Library has not received any damage, the roof keeping off the water. The books of travel, science, political, and other valuable works have escaped without damage either by fire or water. The novels are damaged by water, and but one side of part of the building, in which some rubbishy novels were kept, has been completely destroyed. This disposes of the vexed question as to what should be done with the accumulating rubbish. The escape of the books where the roof has been burnt off is wonderful, those only that were on the upper shelves being destroyed, and those below are only slightly damaged by water, so far as could be seen. The destruction of the poetical works, is the only serious injury to the collection of hooks.

The portion of the building destroyed is insured for £2OOO in the New Zealand Insurance Company, which covers all loss. The night is very calm.