TERRIBLE FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1533, 24 January 1887, Page 2

TERRIBLE FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

NEW ZEALAND WOODWAKE FACTOKY DESTORED. SEVERAL PEOPLE BURIED IN DEBRIS. A SHOCKING SCENE. GREAT DAMAGE DONE. (per united press association.) DUNEDIN, January 24.' Yesterday afternoon a fire broke oat iv the large factory of the Dnuedin Iron and Woodware Company. The fire broke out near the engine-bouse, and spread rapidly through highly inflammable material, fall of all the latest and improved machinery. A large quanity of furniture was removed from the show rooms and warehouse, but as moat of it was lowered from windows, it suffered severely in bundling. Two or three heavy explosions of powder took place, but did uo damage, and quite a fusilade of firing, as cartridges exploded, could be heard. It is difficult to account for the fire. The night watchman left everything safe ac 8 o'clock in the morning, when leaving. The Iron and Woodware Company is practically a Bank of New Zealand concern, and the loss is estimated at £150,000, of which about J-75,000 is covered, by insurance. A fireman named McParlane had his leg broken, and several others were hurt hen the walls fell. It is almost certain that loss of life occurred when the staircase at the back of the furniture department fell, there were a number of people in the buildiug, and at least four of them werp. penned by the falling debris, and it has been found impossible to get them out. One of these is a young man named Esqnillaot ; another is named Miller ; and a third is a sailor, name unknown. There ara tons of debris on top of two of these persons, who are still alive. Superhuman efforts are being made to rescue them, and it is possible that they may be got out alive. Dr. Brown is close to Esquilaut, who has piteously requested him to admiuister chloroform, or in some other way to put him out of his misery.