DISASTROUS FIRE AT OAMARU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5398, 6 March 1879, Page 2

DISASTROUS FIRE AT OAMARU.

[per "herald" special wire.] Oamarct, Wednesday. A disastrous fire occurred about midnight. It destroyed a block at the corner of Thames and Coquet-streets. It originated in a loft over the kitchen of Cogvin'a boarding-house. From Cogvin'a it spread to Currie's produce store, a vacant shop, S. Winard's, tobacconist ; Leppert's, grocer; and Keenan'a boarding-house, the whole of which were envelopfed in one mass of flames within an hour of the first alarm. The buildings were all of wood, and the lire burned furiously. The whole block was levelled to the ground in a short time. Scarcely any water was available, and no appliances, with the excepsion of half-a-dozen buckets. By dint of perseverance Jack Steele's and Hendley's agricultural manufactory.was saved. Nearly all the furniture in Cogviu's and Keenan'a was saved, as was a small portion of Carrie's, Winard's, and Leppert's stock. There was no wind, or the fire would have extended still further. The following are the insurances : —Leppert's building, including S. Winard's shop, £150; fixtures, £50; stock, £350,—a1l in the South British. Cogviu's buildings, £SOO ; furniture, £300, in South British. £500 of policy on building reinsured in Norwich Union. Keenan'a building, £350, in New Zealand ; furniture uninsured. S. Winard's stock, £75, in New Zealand office. Currie's building, £700 ; and stock, £300, in Victoria Company. Currie's and Lippert's stock were considerably more than insured for. No idea as to the origin of the fire can be formed. Had there been a supply of water, it is more than likely , that much of the property would hare been ' saved ;as it was, no effort to isolate any of ! the burning buildings could be thought of. An inquest will be held. 1