THE LATE FIRE AT HOKITIKA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 299, 23 October 1873, Page 6

THE LATE FIRE AT HOKITIKA.

The following further particulars of the - fire which destroyed the Bank of JSew Zea- . land were furnished by the Hokitika Star of Saturday :— The destruction of the Bank was complete, but how the fire arose is at present inexplicable. Air Roberts, the manager, went to bed rather late, having been engaged in business, owing to : the 4th of the month impending. He went through all the 1 rooms before retiring, and everything appeared to be safe. The only spark , left in the house was a very small remuant in ■ the dining-room. About five o'clock in the morning, he was awakened by smoke in his ' room, and he immediately went down and aroused his sister-in-law, Mrs Reid, who was staying in the house, Miss Brady, the governess, and his children. The fire had obtained such an ascendancy that they ' had only just time to escape, without saving anything. Miss Brady most courageously went into the chil- . dren's bed-room again, in order to get them some clothes, but when there,"* was cut off by the fire underneath, and could not return by the st drs. Fortunately, her peril was quickly known. Some gallant fellows procured a ladder, and rescued her through the window. A more providential escape ha? seldom i occuned. Mr Roberts's personal loss cannot be less than Ll,ooo, of which not one penny is insured. The Bank is insured for between L 2.000 to L 3,000, we understand. The Empire, damaged to the extent of L3OO, is not insured, the proprietor having allowed the policy to drop a few weeks since. The Bank of New South Wales was damaged, but not io a great degree, and a coat or two ofpaint will set it all right. The Harp of Erin Hotel was also scorched, and all the glass broken in it, and other trivial damage was done around. The Times of Monday says : — Towards Saturday evening the strongroom was opened and the safes removed to the premises lately occupied by Mr Hogg, but the gold, &c, was taken to the Bank of New South Wales. It would be difficult to state exactly the origin of the fire, but there is every reason to believe that it broke out in Mr Roberta's sitting-room on the ground floor, and that the fire place there had heated '. some wood-work in its vicinity — most likely be- . hind it — which continued smouldering until ultimately,it broke out into names.