THE FIRE IN THE "EVENING NEWS" OFFICE, SYDNEY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 323, 8 December 1888, Page 3

THE FIRE IN THE "EVENING NEWS" OFFICE, SYDNEY.

The destroyed consists of 5 Foster -and' 2' Whal'Male printing machines,' 2 & 85, l h.p. boilers., all," tlio .sfcereo iplatit. j the ink mill, 2 gas engines, 6 settins 1 machines, 6 distributing machines, and' 1 596 ;bypV- cakes. , The whole' of the type is melted,' and as .th'e composingroom was situated above the machine-room, the machinery is thickly covered with the molton lead. The engine-room and composing - room are ' completely destroyed, but the literary and qoinmercial departments have boon denlc With less sc\erely. The commsroial department which wns on the ground lloor at the front of the building is boaked with water, but tho fire did not atfect it much. The books are safo, and the marked files which are used in connection with the advertisements escaped with a soaking. Above this on the first floor stand the rooms uf>ed by the literary fetal!'. The reporters' room .shows feign* of \ iolence, but the fire lias had little di cct efl'cct upon it. The tables, deskf, and chairs are wet-, and some a«hes and a little <M»'ii have fallen in, but it could easily be cleared. The library in which the bound files were kept escaped with a wetting, and most of the records have been recovered. The rooms of the editor and sub-editor suffered chiefly from water, and the rooms occupied by Messrs Bennett "Bros, are ' not very badly damaged. Despite this, however, tho office a& a, whole is completely w recked, and the fine machinery, cho melted typo, and the debri* is mingled in a state of utter confusion. Theieis considerable difticuty in making an accurate estimate o\ the damage, but Messrs Bennett and Co. estimate it at £60,000. tipii.h n i i.i ii ii ■ »« urgent