SERIOUS FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15, 2 December 1861, Page 2

SERIOUS FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

DESTRUCTION Or BUILDINGS AXD A LAIIGE AMOUNT OF PiIOPERjT.

THE "WITNESS" AKD "DAILY TIMES" OiTICE BESTED i^l>.

YfR regret to have to record tlie most serious .Fire that ever occurred in Dune-din, by which ■property to st iar^e amount iias been oestrGvco.., including, we are sorry to F&y, the office and part of the plant of the "• Otago Witness" ! and of the ''Daily Times." The first alarm I of the fire was given by Constable Grenan, at i half-past two o'clock o?i Sunday, in the Stone j stores beloriglng to Mr. Cargili, and in the i hfsck prenii^es of Mr. f-haiid's Bakery. In jwliiobofthe two it- bruke out is a disputed question. Mr. ls::;pcetor Brani^n nnd a j iiimilver of Coii<inbl<:^ i ana private individuals, were f.pccdi.}- on the spot. Alter some uilii- ! enirv in obis.i?nnjr it. the little (ire-enyine,— I -he ojfiy <;k;: the town boasts oi", was got out j u;k! ilxad ur\ trie 1 ay ikach, and the hose connected on. i\leunwiriie ilie ilanies spread in sucii a manner that it hecajiie evident there 1 v.*ay Hat i:n;c.!i chance of <t>z\ki^ the adjoining i houses, wlnist the safety of ;.il the buildings ibetwern fouiibrd raid Walker st.reets Feemed ia;penl!ed. It was deternrlned to let the "Witness" ciMce go, and to endeavour to pave the v Q.uecr!'s Amis." Instant steps were taken to era ply the printing office of its type and material, and in au incredibly short i i ;;pace of ti.'i:e the inrnor portion of its contents i were handed out into lite street. The printing ! machine and presses it was found impossible to move, but most of the frames and nearly all the type were paved. Every exertion was i now directed to Have the "Queen's Arms" j Hotel, although the near proximity of the I ilanies in the '• Witness" o'Hice Bcerncd to make jit an ahuost impossible task. The t-njiine-hose and two chains of buckets were brought to I)ear on the hotel, and portions oi' the v Witness n oilice were knocked down. At about" l:alf-past three, the lire was sufficiently overcome to remove all fears' for the safety of the hotel. On the other .side the lire con- j tinned to barn fiercely in the large stone store of Cargill and Co. ; Shanrl's woo; len buildings I were completely burnt down, and the fire j communicated to Pollock's butcher shop. It i was hopeless to attempt to save it, and ay a preciui'iori&Fy measure, the next building (Simpson's boot and shoe store) was pulled down. By this time the breeze had died away, and bey wad destroying another building, occupied as a store by i'aterson the baker, the j fire did no further damage. ! It is impossible to eulogise in too high 1 terms the conduct of most of the persons preI sent, who lent their aid iv subduing the fire and saving Vne property. The descent, from the spot to the bay is almost precipitous, yet j three or four files..of men fcuccetded in obiain-

ing footing and -passing the buckets, ncnrlj' a quarter of a mile to the burning buildings. The iioje was worked with unremitting energy. The police, under ]\Tr. li]?ur?ck>r Brani^nn, effected AvonrL.Tß; and the, £ohlier:\ who arrived rather late, contributed dl th? assistance in their povcer. The ol:ie.e'r. c; made themselves particularly conspicuous; one of them for upwards of an hour continued .to pass buckets to nnd fro the fire nnd the be a 21s. To show hoy- unlikely it seemed that the !" Queen's Arms'' would be saved, the next ! N^ore further away was commenced to be demolished, find was h uf knocked down before I it wu3 considered to leave it PTp.nd. It is impossible to estii^ate correctly the value of the property d0.7;-roved-, hut we be!ie>'C ;ibont £10,000 'wonhi be near the ertUwilv. We arc sorry to say, little or Done of this was inmred. Two of t);e sufferers by the fire were "negotiating for insurance"', and the terms were to have been a:.;>ved on, on Saturday, but were postponed tiil rJoridny. A difference of opinion exists as to where the five broke out ,■ some incline to think in CargilTs store, v/bilst ofiierp. assort it 10 Inn'e been in Shand's Isnkery. The latter reems the more probable, as unless it were KpohtaFH:oir" combustion or the work of an iricoDrliarv, the fire could not have originate;] in Cnv^lY^. The lire v:zs isot completely .c^iio^nblied r-p to yesivrdny nfternoon, thor^h it v;r,s sudl:.]enily subdued to remove all ibars of danp;er. Via innr.t postpone ihrt:]?er rcrtienlars till next is-ne, v^'hen we will also mention tbe names ol' those who rendered themselves mo?t con-' vspicuous !;y the fissistsnee they rendered daring the tire. One exception, however, we must wake, ia that of lAv, Pullen, wiio with i the instinctive y>'nver that experience always coniTiiands, c..«s:uiied from the iirst tlie direcliors of the CM3t;ljjO and the ho?n. "We understand he has ha-I p;reat experience in California, and certainly lie rendered good service.