BALCLUTHA.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2884, 14 May 1878, Page 2

BALCLUTHA.

Monday.

An extensive fire occurred here at 2 o'clock on Sunday morning, when Dunn's Newmarket Hotel, portion of the.stabling, and the Newmarket Hail, di". Blues and Cocks' store (late Gregor and Stewart's), end * another small empty store,"' were to" lly destroyed, with almost their entire contents. The fire, which is supposed to hare originated' in a chimney of the back dining-room oft' the hotel, was first discovered by the servants, who slept in the building at the rear of the hotel. Mr and Mvs Dur.'a, the barman, and the billiard

marker, got out by the window in their night-dresses, the two latter leaping from the upper storey. In less than an hour the whole buildings were level with the ground, and one burning mass. Only two strangers slept in the hotel. One escaped, but the other was burnt to a cinder. His skull and some charred bones were discovered in the morning. His name was Patrick McGrath, a native of Limerick, unmarried. He is said to have a sister married to a man named Larney, at Dunstan Creek. The whole of the vehicles and harness were saved, and all the horses but one, belonging to Jno. Macdonald, in the stables at the rear of Blues' store, which was burnt. No one knew the horses wjre there till it was too late. Several adjacent buildings had a narrow escape. The morning was very calm, otherwise great damage would have bren done. The following are the insurances so far as have been able to learn :— Newmarket Hotel: South British for £800, New Zealand £1450, National £500, Standard £500; Newmarket Hall; National £600, South British £600, paino and furniture, National £150; on stables burnt, New Zealand £100; Blues' store buildings/Standard £490; stock, National £1,5C3. A small portion of the goods in the store were saved.