THE WELLINGTON FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 128, 31 May 1901, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON FIRE.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day

Many citizens who proposed to give subscriptions to the reception fund have now resolved to devote the money to the relief of sufferers by the fire in Hawker - street. The fire destroyed one of the finest privately-owned libraries in the colony at the residence of Ml" T. W. Howe, of. the Wellington Public Library. The collecting of books has been Mr Howe's hobby from boyhood, and he had accumulated some 5500 volumes, representing a money value of about £1300. They Included many rare works of special value and some that can hardly be replaced. Another valuable collection of books sacrificed to the flames was Mr J. J. Devine's law and general library, consisting- of some two thousand volumes. Mr Devine also lost the manuscript of an expensive literary work upon which he had for a longtime been engaged. Another valuable library completely destroyed was that of Mr J. Freyberg, the timber expert, including a large collection o"f works on forestry, which, I understand, he was gathering- with the view of ultimately presenting- to the public as the nucleus of a national collection on his special subject. The Rev. F. Hales also lost a considerable literary store.