INVERCARGILL.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4909, 3 October 1884, Page 2

INVERCARGILL.

This day. A £es tractive Fire.

At 6 o'clock yesterday morning the constable on duly in Dee street found D. Smith's drapery establishment on fire. The brigade was soon upon the ground, but nothing could be done to prevent the destruction of the buildings, which were of brick. The shop of James Craig, watchmaker, on the south, side was in great danger, and so was Sloan's theatre adjoining. Cunning's "Opera Company removed their properties, and then rendered valuable assistance in pumping and saving property. As it was, the theatre is somewhat damaged. Adjoining Smith's shop on the north side was the boot warehouse of H. Sloan and Sons, and this soon caught; between this and the nest building (occupied by Bead and Ferguson, watchmakers) was an iron wall, and for a long time the brigade kept the flames from getting beyond this. At 9 o'clock, however, when everybody thought all was Bftf'e, and the water was exhausted, the near end of Ferguson's place took fire in several places and spread from there to that of Boss, fruiterer; R. Cleve, seeds man; and Cowper and Wilson, ironmongers. All these places were burned down, but before this a good deal of stock was got out. The Prince of Wales Hotel, which is separated from Cowan's and Wilson's by a right of way, was in great danger, and was -only sated owing to a brick wall erected between it and the burning shop. Had the hotel caught, the whole bock might have been swept away to Spey street, and great loss occasioned. Nothing is known as to the origin of the fire.