SERIOUS FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1118, 14 June 1883, Page 3

SERIOUS FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

With regard to the fire at Dunedin, some particulars of which will be found in our frontpage, we gather from later information to hand that it is supposed that £IOO,OOO worth of goods are lost. Several of the larger firms are covered by floating insurance policies, but a great deal of goods are uninsured, and therefore the loss will be considerable, perhaps ruinous to some people. The origin of it is unknown. There were two watchmen looking after it constantly, and the report was that it was all right shortly before the fire was discovered. Smoking was strictly prohibited. By jhe time the Fire Brigades arrived, the flames hud obtained so firm a hold on the building that it was impossible to save anything. After some delay, there being a scarcity of water, two jets were brought to bear on the northern end of the burning building, in the hope of saving a quantity of valuable jewellery there. The eftorto of the Brigade however, proved futile, and the flames spread till the whole length of the building was one sea of flame, 150 yards long. The scene at this stage was a grand one ; tho main portion of the southern half the building fell iu with a crash, the flames shot higher and higher into the air, lighting up the houses on the heights of Mornington, throwing out in bold relief tbe outlines of uianj of the larger buildings in Bond and Princes streets, and lighting up a considerable extent of tho harbor. The police constables in rummaging among the ash.* and dying embers on several occasions came across gold and silver watches, bunches of loys, and other jewellery; which were placed in a cab and driven away to the railway oflices in Dowling street. Amongst those who had goods in the shed at the time were Miles, Archer and Co., and Blaclean and Stewart, Timaru.