FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 48, 24 April 1863, Page 2

FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

(From the Qtayo Daily Times,) Punedin had another fortunate escape from a serious conflagration yesterday morning, when some premises belonging to Messrs. Jones and Williamson, grocers, &c, Princesstreet, with their contents, were destroyed. The fire commenced in a small store at the back of the shop, from -which it is separated by a yard. The store had an upper floor, as had also the bakery belonging to the same firm, which abutted on the store on one side, and upon the entrance porch to Dr. Burns's Church on the other. This church is singularly unfortunate and fortunate — unfortunate in that, only two or three months ago, the cordial manufactory of Messrs Butement, which adjoins it at the back, was destroyed ; fortunate, in that, on both occasions, it has escaped with, only very slight damage by fire. The store was not visited after fire or six o'clock on Thursday evening; and we are told that a light has rarely or never been taken into it.

The alarm was given shortly after four o'clock yesterday morning ; and subsequently the bell was rung vigorously for nearly half an hour. The members of the Volunteer Eire Brigade mustered at the engine house quickly and well ; and the engine was soon run out and on to the beach, between the Rattray-street pier and the line of earthwork formed by the men employed under the contractor on Bell Hill. The first line had fortunately been stopped shorty of the pier, so that the tide flowed freely in j and being not far from high at the time, there was no greater difficulty in feeding the engine than arose from the necessity of shifting it down several times, so as to keep the suction hose fairly in the fast-receding tide. The fire had begun in the loft of the store, at the corner nearest Rattray-street, but it had spread over the loft before the brigade could arrive. On that side, there was no danger of extension, seeing that there was a high blue-stone division wall, bounding the premises of Messrs Dalgety, Rattray and Co. But, separated from the bakehouseonly by a narrow right-of-way, stands the billiardroom of the Exchange Hotel, other rooms forming a connection with the hotel proper, the whole block being of wood. Up to the I line of the lofts, the store and bakery were of

brick, and the latter, aa we have B Abutted upon the porch of the chM There was a , strong and very gusty i blowing; but the high atone wall" and ! buildings on the church side, fortunately \ "■ vented its having much effect. There [ however, enough in the appearance and s tion of the fire to cause the greatest a] ■ ' hens>ions. There was soon a goodly nui of persons . coleeted ; but the police, v '■ Sub-Inspector Siricockj kept order, andl dered other assistance ; some menbelonl to the 70th Eeglment, under Captain S } n - marsh, arriving subsequently, and gil aid. .■ r r..; v .J „;.._ , , I sti Captain Bees, had two hose run out;! jet from one being played on the bacijx of -J& store, where the fire was strongest, and p. other being taken round the church, so a cbeck the fire 1 from the.yard. The bri; *° -worked most heartily and well; and t} f a , soon seemed a probability that but Ii ,-,, damage would be done beyond jihe <buil< *■' in which the fire commenced. Butitwa m be otherwise. The church would assur* have escaped altogether, but for the fral conduct of some men, led, ajs we are assx*,*, Cl> by the master of the school held withixflP *£ ot walls. Captain Rees desired to have I building kept closed, as the leash . dangeJ f plan ; but these men would go in, and av| ° they got there, they commenced tfasljj c 0 forms, desks, books,; &0., through the xl P< dows, nearly every one of which was a jj troyed — smashed bodily out — while man*. ■> the desks and forms were shattered. 1 " was bad enough, but worse remained behi V{ Captain Eees, Mr Switzer, the treasurer, i Vf other members of the brigade, almost jD sotted to violence, but they could not stop stupid work. Mr Switzer got knocked do . - by one bench; and at the samo inst * a another fell upon and burst one of , the hi tl During the time necessary for replacing * gi, useless lengtn, the fire spread rapidly in loft over the bakery, and caught the top ™ the church porch; and before the flai VJ could be checked, they had extended to fa lining of the ceiling within. The police } n< by this' time ejected the cause of the n t _ chief; and the brigade, in a short time got! 5 flames so far under that there was no danl ™ of their again spreading. An hour had I b( this time elapsed ; but the brigade could ] re be withdrawn until after eight o'clock. „, The store and loft, and their contents, ci hi sisting of, a miscellaneous stock of groc< p goods, aie entirely destroyed, only portit , of the brick walls remaining. The loft oi . the bakery shared the same fate ; its ci lr tents, in addition to groceries, comprising hj number of long-handled shovels, broon fc ( &c., which were in just that part whi burned most fiercely during the stoppage , the engine before mentioned. The datna c } to the church by fire was confined to the < lii struction of tbe roof and upper portion of t Jjj porch, and of a small part of the ceiling +i the building ; but the glacier's bill, and t reinstatement of the forms, desks, and bool *° will add greatly to the loss of the trustees, ft At the point where the fire commence a < there was a case of vestas in tin boxes, ai t t. also some in small plaid-paper boxes. T only conjeccure that can be made as to ti w origin of the flames is, that rats got nibbli w at the matches, and ignited one of the; Mr Williamson estimates the damage to t s j. premises and stock at L 750; but it is < vered by insurance in the Australasi ol office. fa w