DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN AUCKLAND. £8000 Damages.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1953, 13 January 1885, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN AUCKLAND. £8000 Damages.

On Saturday mu'lit the r\toiiM\r Tin 1 1 bulongmg to tin- \ew Zo.d.uid Tiuibei Company at Fiecnian's Ji.iv> Auckl.uid, together with halt a million font of timber w.ii destroyed by file, winch bioke out slmitly befoie ten o'clock. The oiigiu of tho file is unknown, farther than tli.it it commenced in an upper story of the buildmp. The J'no Bng.uk>, the Salvage CVrpi, tho N.ixak, and a detachment of men from the U. S. Man () Wai InKpiois, rendered able assistance seconded by tho employer of tho null, and those of the Auckland Timber Company, whine promises had a nanow escape. Tho tiro was not got under until past three o'clock on Sundiiy morning. From tho Herald wo lourn that tho New Zealand Timber Company estimate their loss at £8000, of which £3000 is covered by insurance in tho Norwich Union, who have largely reinsured. Among reinsurance* mentioned are : Fire Assurance, i'XK) ; I'hcuniv, &"»00; Equitable, £240; United, £2-">0 ; National, 4'&>Q ; New Zealand, £250 ; Colonial, £250. Tho South British had a risk originally of £7-100, whiah they had reduced to £4500, and this policy expired on the 31at of December last, when a fresh insurance was effected as above in the Norwich Union. Proposals, with the neqefasary documents and information, for an additional insurance of £3000 were forwarded to Sydney fop acceptance by Sydnoy insurance offices on Thursday last per U.S. Ringarooma. Of course theho pioposals will eventuate in nothing, as information of the fire will have been cabled to Sydney prior to arrival of the Steamer.

A Story op Ouida — A Florentine lady Bays that " OuuU " was recently invited to a ladies' luncheon party, and accepted. AH tho other guests arrived befpre the authoress, and waited patiently fr.r t|je guest's advent. She did not come. They vat, and sat, and naturally enough beguiled the time by talking of her and her looks, and how true this or that one of the innumerable queer stories about hey nugiit be. I'm&lly sl/e pame in, apologised for Ijer <lc)ny, and jtljo feast proceeded agreeably to nil concerned. Jn the course of fclie week it w»a discovered that " Ouida " I)a4 fioinp early (to }t, biibed the maid, hidden hersolf behind the dressing-room door, and, seated on a a tool there, lud enjoyed hearing hertelf discussed,