DUNEDIN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3007, 14 February 1881, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

February 14. By a fire in Dunedia to-day the Transatlantic Company lose £200. The fire which completely gutted Hudson's flour mill factory, and considerably damaged a portion of the new Coffee Palace, broke out at 20 minutes to 2on Sunday morning. The new Coffee Palace waa built immediately in front of the old Masonic Hall, and for some years this building was occupied by Hudson as a mill, store, and factory. The general opinion is that the fire originated in the bakehouse, but on this matter there is a difference of opinion. The alarm was raised by a stableman at the City Hotel. At the time the fire broke out there were four persons in the Coffee Palace, Mr S. S. Hawkins (manager), Mrs Hawkins, and two female servants (Isabella Menzies and Elizabeth Ross). A boy servant was in a room adjoining the factory, but fully one Hundred feet from where the fire started. Mr and Mrs Hawkins occupied a room on the first floor of the Coffee Palace overlooking Hocken's dwelling-house, and the servants were in a room on the next flat immediately above Hawkins' room. On Mrs Hawkins opening the door, a volume of smoke entered the room, and the firet thing she did was to arouse the servants. By this time the Fire Brigade, with tbe " Escape," were at the fire, in all a short time, and the Brigade rescued the persons in the Palace by means of the fire escape. At this time the building.at the back was amass of flame, the wheat, flour, sugar, butter, and other stock burning fiercely, . Several streams of water was soon turned on l he building, as many as sx branches being used atone time. The walls confined the flames within the building, but water was played on Hocken's building, and all danger ot its catching fire was removed. The roof of the Coffee, Palace caught fire, and was greatly damaged before the flames were checked by the water. The construction of the Palace aided the Brigade in keeping the fire back, as the firemen were enabled to play upon it from so many different positions. By about three o'clock the fire was checked, and by four all danger was over. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Andrew Munroe, the foreman baker, was the last man known to be in the bakehouse, and he was there at about 11.30 p.m. on Saturday for the purpose of putting potatoes in the oven to set ferment on Sunday for Monday's bread. When he left he states there was no sign of fire in the place. The fire in the kitchen of the Coffee Palace was extinguished immediately after tea, and. there was no fire there at 8 o'clock known to Mr Hawkins and the servants. Hawkinc went over the building as late as 10 -SO in order to sfe that everything was safe, and then there was no sign of fire. There was a lari»e stock of goods in the store, and machinery in the factory of very considerable value. The Coffee Palace had very little furniture in it, as it was not intended to open it for ten days, though furniture was purchased to the value of £2000, which would have been in tbe course of a few days. The furniture was not irisured, but the damage done to the property will be covered by about £10, and the damage 'to the building more than covered by the insurance. Five lodges of Freemasons met in the lodge-room above the mill and factory, besides the Royal Arch Chapter, and two Grand Lodges, one under the English, and the other under the Scottish Constitution. The regalia and furniture of the Lodges, including the harmonium and organ, were estimated to be worth £800, and the insurance on them is about £500, divided between the Standard, National, and Victoria Companies. The Grand Lodge records and Charter are in the office of the secretary, and are safe. The documents of the Royal Arch Chapter were saved, being in the custody of one ot the officers.