LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 34

LAKE COUNTY.

Dkcumber. 15.— The weather is sluiriuf? well for tbe approaching holidays promising to be tiue, if Viui- - Thfie i<< Tavcely a mishap that could have haweneil to i>r<n<u>ty in this district causing so mu'-Ii cousreimifio.i f'i>'l regret as the lo^s of the Wakatipu Ijo p>t.>l UniMin^ at Fr.mkton by tire. 'Ihe in-tiiutiou has always been a most popular one, the vopuUnty beii\g shaved by the pre*idin<f uicdioj l>r Douglas, whose name for ujnvardb of a. quarter of century ha« beena household word in e\.erv reside; t's mouth. The tire was first observed bj Mr Thoin-ou. the wa'dsmun, when going ro K-d on tha evening of "Wednesday If^t about Iwlf pas-t Tl. Seeing a gUre of firo Mr Tho.. «r,n ;.«n<l for the ligbt, when he fouiv the old and .iUui'loucl w-\r<\, now used as lumber rooms <c, in full bla^e. Efforts were made at once to battle with the flames, but a deficient ai:d defective water supply rendcied bhese efforts unavailing. There were 10 patients In thewnvds, all but two of whom were able to do for themselves and render assistance in saving furniture and other movables. No very serious Euffoiing was entailed upon even the worst case. Owmjc to the want of water and means of applying it anil also to the fact that the hospitalstands in a rather isolated po-ition, next to nothing could be done to check the progress of the flames. All the available energy was therefore turned to ftcttmc out what coul'.i be saved of the contents. A good dca 1 of the more readily-moved articles were remove! as also were Dr DouaWs instruments, us ■w .-11 as those belonging to the in timtion, both unmually valuable collections A commodious residence at Queenstown is doiii* duty for the time as a hospital. Thr insurances are as follows:- Buildings. £14500, in tbe National ; hospital furniture, A'4oo. in the South British ; doctors furmtme £325, in the National. Nothing is known of the oiigin of tbe fire. The main buildin °- was a c nunratively naw one, as \yas also the doctors two-stoi eyed residence, having cost together clo«e upon i'3ooo. Tbe other buildings, though old, were still scrviceaM'J and valuable.