THE MELBOURNE BLAZE.

Hastings Standard, Issue 483, 23 November 1897, Page 3

THE MELBOURNE BLAZE.

LIGHTNING THE PROBABLE CAUSE. 2000 PEOPLE AFFECTED." INSURANCES £700,000. (Per Press Association.—t'oni/riyht.) Melbourne, Nov. 22. Yesterday's fire will result in 1000 regular bands being thrown out of employment, besides another 1000 employed in factories and other places affected by the stoppage of trade. Lightning is put forward as a probable cause of the fire. The telephone exchange officers report that prior to the alarm being given the telephone lines received severe shocks from lightning, which threw down all the indicators. A number of the burned buildings are in a dangerous condition, and large gangs of men are engaged demolishing them. Many firms have already secured temporary premises, and are resuming business. It will be some days before the actual amount of the insurance is ascertained. It is distributed over a great number of offices, both local and British, the English being the greatest sufferers. A sensational statement made by the matron of the Melbourne hospital has been confirmed by two other nurses. She states that she saw a dense volume of smoke an hour and a half before the brigade turned out, and flames appeared half an hour later. She did cot give an alarm, because she thought it must be noticed from the watch towers and streets. This day. The sum to be paid by the insurance companies will not fall far short of £700,000. The offices of the different colonies affected are as follows : Victoria, £77,000 ; New South Wales, £12,000; Queensland, £3,300 ; South Australia, £16,000; New Zealand, £56,000; Tasmania, £19,000 ; British and Foreign Companies the balance.