FIRE AT WINTON.

Evening Star, Issue 7412, 6 January 1888, Page 4

FIRE AT WINTON.

With reference to the fire which destroyed the Winton Hotel and other nroperties, the correspondent of the ' Southland Times' gives the following particulars:—"The fire was first noticed about 2.30 a.m. by Mr John Whyte. Immediately the bell rang the whole population turned out to see where the fire was. As far as can be madeooutt t it commenced in one of the Upper rooms of the hotel. The first thing to be done was to save life. Luckily ther£ were very few boarders in the house, and these were got Out, but the servants narrowly escaped being burned to death. It was seen that the four shops, separated only by & right-of-way from the uotel, would go. Mr i Samson, assisted by his shopman and otkers, removed as many things .as ; they could from the shop* ahd carried J them to ths other side of the street. Mr Lict'dell did likewise with his saddlery goods. The fire had got such a firm hold of the hotel before it was noticed that nothing could be done to save it, even if there had been plenty of water, Which there was not. The fire soon spread to Mr John Sims's fancy goods shop and Mr M'Farlane's pastry shop. Cameron's boot shop went next, and lastly Cameron and Hartley's cabinet shop went clown. M'Farlane's bakehouse, wp.r saved. fortunately the wind was from the north-west. Had it been from the southward M'William's store on I the opposite corner would have been destroyed, together with Kidd's store, ! Moel-e's butcher shop, and Mailman's hotel. ! As it Was* Mr M'William's building was badly aoorched, many of the large panes of glass being broken, and some of the paper in the windows being scorched. The four shops belonged to Mr Jaihea l'tioihpsoh, who, unluckily for himself, had allowed the insurances to lapse about three weeks ago. None of the tenants managed to save much. The insurances, so far a", io known, were as follows!---Caiherbn and Hartley's stock, LIOO in the Standard Company • and Cameron, bootniakeV, for Lf!o in the same office. The former will be fully covered, but the latter will lo3e something. Neither M'Farlane nor Sims had any insurance, and the policies on Mr Watson's furniture and stock expired only a few hours previously. Practically nothing was saved from the hotel—Mrs Watson losing all her personal effects and even the cash in hand. How the fire originated is unknown, and is likely to remain so. No fire had been used in the house during the day with the exception of that in the kitchen, which was seen to before the inmates went to bed." Mr 3 Watson, in addition to the loss by the firo, had the misfortune to have her leg broken by being thrown out of a on the day following the fire.