SERIOUS FIRE AT INVERCARGILL. Invercargill, August 11.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 13

SERIOUS FIRE AT INVERCARGILL. Invercargill, August 11.

A fire broke out in Heywood's Albion Hotel at 2 o'clock this morning, and tbe building, which was of brick, was speedily in flames. The brigade had a plentiful supply of water from Puni creek, but were unabie to prevent the destruction of the hotel, wbich occupied the site of a block that had been burned down 13 years ago. Lawis and Co.'s cxten.-ive drapery establishment on the north hide caught through the bkylight, and for a time it seemed as if ib would succumb ; but the efforts to save it proved eflVctual, although a good deal of damage was don« to tbe.stofk in one depaitmeut of the building. M'Farhme's confectionery shop on the south side also ignited more than once, but strenuous exertions made to save jfc proved successful, although at the expense of some of the stock. Most of the stock in Sutherland's tobacconist shop under tbe hotel was romovi d. Had the flames not been subdu- d the entire block, in which are the Now Zealand Insurance Company's offices, the Government Insurance department, and a number of other places of business, would have been swept away. It is supposed that the lire started in the bar of the hotel. One of the boarders who had been working late wput to bed at about 1 30 a.m., and tho;i went down to the second floor to put his name on Ihe slate to be called early. While there he detected a smell of fire, and on going to tho ground floor saw smoke issuing out of the front bar. Ho rushed upstaira agaiu and cried out "Fire," but this failit; g to arouse anyone he seized the dinner belt and never ceased ringing it till everyone was awakened. There wore a good number of people in the hotel, and they hud just time to escape, gome being unable to fully dress. AH loat theic personal effects, and several commercial travellers are reported, to be serious sufferers in this way. A report went round that one man had been lost, but a'l doubt was set at rest by his subspquent appraroncc. The hotel was one of the finest in the town. The following are the correct insurances in connection with Uiu fire, at Invercargiil on Saturday morning: — On Ihe Albion Hotel (building) — New Ziuland £4000, reinsured as follows : — Standard XSOO, North German £500, National dGsoo^oulh British £1000; stock and furniture— New Zealand .CGOO (reim-ured for £250 in tho Phccnix), Colonial £1000, Phoenix £250, North German £250. Lewis' building : New Zealand £1000, North British and Mercantile £500, North German £450; LewiY stock — South British £1000, Colonial £1000, Royal £1000, Pbcenix £1000, Northern £1000, Equitable £500, Standard £500. The Albion Hotel and stock, &c , arc reported as total losses ; Lewis' building as partly damaged, and stock valued at £14,000 to be half destroyed. Mr W. S. Cook, of the Colonial Bank, was the first to give tho alarm and arouse the boarder?, by ringing the dinner bell.