NEW ZEALAND. FIRES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 901, 7 January 1882, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

FIRES.

(Per Press Association.) Auckland, Jan. 4. An elderly man named,;; Murray died suddenly at, Coromapdel. Thedeppased is said to be a n^ar.relative of a Scotch baronet. Comment is made stowaway on the-Auafeeffia,. being quarantined, while the Hoil, J&r Whitaker boarded the mail steamer to, see Kir. Parkts and, towa, Wellington, 4.

H.M.S. Emerald was expected to leave Sydney on the 31st of December for Wellington, reaching here about the 10th. It is understood she will take His Excellency to either Fiji or Sydney. The total customs revenue collected in the colony, for, the nine, months ended 31st December,, amounted to 1,1,074,794, being about L66,0Q0 over the estimate. g: Christchurch, Jan. 4. | ,sf * A petition has Jbeen lodged against the return of, Mr Harry Allwriglit, M.H.R. for Lytteltou. the ground, of objection being that several aliens voted for hinj,, Oamaru, Jan, 4. A new sjione-cutting machine was tried to-day by the Oamaru Stone Company at,one of their quarries. The machine is driven by steam and saws the stone through with, a straight face to it. The invention is.a very ingenious one an,d is capable, ofydoings as. much work in a day as it previously took twelve or fifteen men to do. Dunedif, Jan. 4; C, Coombs, and Son, tanners, have called a meeting of their creditors. Their liabilities are L 48,000 partly secured, and their assets.L26 > CM?o, Jan. 5. j A case came on,at th&Bolice Court to-day in which a. in. High street was charged wjth bejp&tbe keeper, of a common gaming house. A totalisator is kept on the premises, and- the particular event on which the action taken is the InvercargiU races. The case was adjourned, Jan. & The Gaelic Society of. Southland, | under the chieftainship of*the Hon. Br Menzies, M.L.A.. and the presidency of Mr Jas. Mcintosh, of Strathmpre, a braJJch of the Gaelic Society of New Zealand, was founded in the Southland capital amidst the greatest enthusiasm, over 300 members, being enroled. A powerful Committee was formed in the central district with sub-committees for the various districts in the country. The rules of the Gaelic Society in Dunedin will be strictly ndhered to in guiding its operations, which is under the able presidency of the Rev. Dr Menzies, i

A most destructive fire occurred at Inver. cargilljon Wednesday last, destroying property v to the - alue of £25,000. The insurances were:—North British, £I4OO (portion, of which is re insured) ; distributed lows":—£1000 on Roche's stock, on Hannn'a Temple of. Science; Hanseatic £l5O on Rogers' stock ; Transatlantic' £3OO on Hibernian Hotel /Colonial, £7oa. on stock and furniture of -Hibernian,, £3OO „ v on Roche's stock. £IOOO .tin the Temple* Sconce, and £IS,P on,, Raggide's ing, total, £2150;. Northern, £l5O oV, Raeside's shop;, Liverpool, London and; QJobe, £2QO on, Hibernian, £IOO 0n... QamphfiU's, hiVcbery, and £800; : on Mrs, Wilson's stock;and; lading.; New Zealand, £IOOO on Biding and j stock, £3Qoon Hanan's.jstock, and.£soo on., on Brown's (draper) stock- total £IBOO, of • which £3OO is reinsured in the Colonial ;. South British, £l5O on Roche's Luilding. Total insurance,,so far as is known, £7200. Blackburn's rope, factory at Hastings, near Napier, hiving been burned down under;, suspicious circumstances, the in- . snranco companies demanded an inquest, which, is,jiqy being held. Blackburn in, his evidence contradicted himself greatly, and other ofy his statements were dis- m? witnesses.. The evidence so far . does; not ralate to., the, fire, but to the. value, of the. buijLdings .and stock, which, w,ere .insured for £6SQ„ and which are _ stated not to„have been w.orth £200.. Blackburn, admitted that, the buiidinga , wer,e npt,worth although he valued them.at£6sQ when taking out the policy. Tjre insurauce agents had decided to, cancel his policy on the night of the fire. This is the second time Blackburn has , been burned out under similar circutustances. Havblock, Jan. 5 , At inquest- on the late fire at tho 1 Masonic Hotel and James Hadneld. Smith's. store was held yesterday. The. verdict was that there was no evidence to v show how the fire originated. NEtspN, Jan. 5. A six-roomed house, in Brook street Valley, occupied by.-Mr. Punch, was de- .. stroyed by fire to-day. Considerable... difficulty was experienced in rescuing hia._ wife, who is an invalid. The house be-... longed to Mr,.Cullcn, of Picton, and was insured in the Liverpool and London and Globe for £IOO. Punch, who is a maker _ of plaster of Paris images, had his furniture and models iusured in the New Zea. land office for £4OO, and the stock ef images for £-250. Melbourne, Jan. 5. j An unsuccessful attempt was made last. ! night to set fire to the ship Oasis, lying at the Sandridge Pier. A quan'ity of shav- } ings saturated with resin aniT* was found to be on fiie, but was guished w ithout any damage beiug The carpenter, of. the, 'ship is said to be. implicated in the^attempt.