DREADFUL FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2067, 24 January 1887, Page 2

DREADFUL FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

LARGE FACTORY DESTROYED. x POWDER ON THE PREMISES, THE CROWD PANIC-STRICKEN. A CARTRIDGE FUSILADE. LOSS ESTIMATED AT £150,000. INJURIES TO THE FIREMEN. LOSS OF LIFE FEARED. FOUR PERSONS PENNED BY THE FALLING DEBRIS. A BURNING PRISON-HOUSE. PITEOUS CRIES FOR HELP. ( (Per Press Association.) Dunedin, Jan 23. Shortly after one o’clock this afternoon a fire, which assumed very large proportions, broke out in the large Factory of the Dunedin Iron and Woodware Co. The premises, which cover about two acres of ground in a squaro block and extend from Princes-street to Bondstreet, having also a third frontage to Manor-street, were burned down about ten years ago when owned by Guthrie and Larnach’s Woodware Co. They were then rebuilt on a much more extensive scale, the large furniture warehouse and offices being four storey high. The fire appears to have broken out close to the engine house, and spreading rapidly through the highly inflammable material in the factory, which was full of ail the latest and improved machinery, soon had everything there in ruins. After burning about half an hour the walls fell with a fearful crash into the street. The Fire Brigade were working hard to cope with the body of the flames, which were fearful in the centre of the building, and as there was a stout brick wall between the offices and the Factory it was thought they might save the latter. The flames steadily gained as the building was so extensive that very little water could be got to reach the ceutre whero the fire was raging. The wind had carried the fire away from the direction of the engine house where it first started, but when it caught hold of the offices the flames worked their way back again to the Bmd Street frontage. The water was poured on to the fire steadily and a large quantity of furniture was removed from the Show Rooms kud Warehouse, but as most of it was lowered by ropes from the windows it suffered severely. There was a tremenduous crowd present, and as alarms of powder being in the premises were raised they were running about wildly although never interfering with the salvage work. There was a considerable quantity of cartridges in the building and these could be heard popping off in a regular fusilade, but the roar of the fire and the falling roofs and walls drowned it. Two or three heavy explosions of powder took place but did no damage. How the fire originated is a mystery. The Iron and Woodware Co. is practically the Bank of New Zealand, and the loss is estimated at fully L 150,000, of which about L 75.000 is covered by insurance divided among nearly all the offices doing business here. All sorts of wild rumor 3 were curreut as to firemen being injured when the walls kept falling, but so far as could he ascep tained ouly one was hurt, Fireman [ McFarlane, who had his leg brokenSeveral others received severe cuts, wounds and bruises from falling glass, timber etc , but they kept hard at work. It was with Borne difficulty that the fire wag kept fron) jumping across Princes-sfcreet, but the 1 buildings there were kept soaked with water. There is no danger of the fire extending now, unless a fierce gale springs up, but it will burn for many hours yet. It is almost certain that loss of life has occqrrecj. When the staircase at tho back of the furniture department fell there were a number of people in the building and at least four of them were penned by the falling debris, and it h»s been found impossible to get tharp opt. Ope' qf these is a young man named Esquilant ; another is named Miller, and a third is a Hailor whose name is unknown. There are tons of debris on top of the material above these persons who are still alive. Superhuman efforts are being made to rescue them and it is possible they may be go out alive. Dr Brown h c|osq to yopug Esquilant, who has piteously requested him to give him chloroform, or in some other way put him out of his misery. Mr Henderson, tho manager, was near the spot when the stairs fell and narrowly escaped.