BURNING OF MR DUTHIE'S RESIDENCE AT WANGANUI.

Patea Mail, 12 October 1880, Page 3

BURNING OF MR DUTHIE'S RESIDENCE AT WANGANUI.

On Friday night tho beautiful residence of Mr J.Duthio, standing within its grounds in Wickstecd street, Wanganui, was destroyed by lire. The Herald 'says :—Quite fifteen minutes must have elapsed from the time the lire was discovered by the terrified inmates before tho Keith Street bell bcto ring spasmodically, and then the St Hill Street bell took up tho dread alarm. The silence of the big bell was painful, but after some ton minutes its clagour rang out in the still night. The fire

was first discovered by one of the servants who found tho woodwork of a safe close to the kitchen chimney in flames. She immediately acquainted Mrs Uulhie, who had Just previously gone upstairs to bed, the rest of the family having already retired. Tho children were of course the first care, and they wore speedily aroused and taken to a neighbour’s house. The servants and Mrs Duthie endeavoured to extinguish the flames by throwing buckets of water, but the woodwork being dry, (tho kitchen and back portion of the house being of older date than the front), the fire spread rapidly and caught the ceiling overhead. The origin and early progress of tho lire were strangely similar to the experience at the Rutland, and the cause, as far as we could judge much the same. Those early on tho spot obtained a small hose, but being strangers to the house did not know whore to fix it, and much valuable time was lost, those familiar with the place being too much ex-

cited to give the information. Finding it too late to attempt to stop the flames with anything short of a Brigade hose every effort was made to remove the valuable furniture in the front of the building which was free from tire, but uncomfortably filled with smoke. Most of the dining and drawing room furniture was removed, there being time to take out the register stove in the last named room. Mrs Duthic assisted by one or two friends cleared as much of the upstairs floor as could bo done, a small box containing valuable jewellery being wrapped hi some clothing and thrown from the window. The box was picked up and taken away for safety by a neighbour, but as nothing was beard o£ it lor some time fears were entertained that it had been annexed by a pieker-up of -unconsiderod trifles. Before the brigade arrived (ho scene presented by the burning building was distressing. The whole of the

back portion consisting of the kitchen and bed-rooms above was one mass of flame; the lire spreading to the newer building. On every side lay furniture, bedding, clothing, just as they had been thrown out, the early arrivals persevering to the last to save what they could. Hose-reels were laid by the brigade, and two men entered the bouse, but from want of pressure or a defective length of hose, the water did not come through, and the men were compelled to fall back, the heat and smoke being unbearable. With the arrival of the town contingent and another reel, water was obtained. The arrival of the hook and ladder carriage enabled ladders to be creeled, and the jets to be directed inside of the building. Long before this time, however, the lire had reached the roof, and linding there plenty of material for combustion in tiio rooling felt underneath the iron, the flames held secure possession. Dense masses of thick black smoko lighted up with lurid tongues of flame rose from the roof, the tar in the felt burning with great fierceness. The scarcity of water was a painful feature. From two of the branches at the front of the building the water was not thrown three feet at first, but after a time the power was increased and a perfect torrent of water was thrown into the building.

Tire falling of the roof deadened the flames, but they soon burst through again. Sparks flew in abundance, but everyone was on the alert, and no other building caught fire. The brigade ceased playingwater at 2 a.in. A family mansion replete with every comfort and elegance that taste and money could command is now a mass of blackened beams and isolated chimney stacks. By closely inspecting the ruins it could be seen that the fire had its origin in the vicinity of the chimney, and this theory is supported by the statements of the children and servant who first saw the smoke and flames coming through the ceiling of the kitchen. The insurances were : £1,250 on the building in the South British (£6OO of the amount being re-insured in the New Zealand), and £350 on the furniture in the South British. Mr Duthie was out of town. A special messenger was despatched at midnight, and Mr Duthie arrived by the first train next morning.