RIRE IN THE WAIOTAHI.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1794, 2 October 1874, Page 2

RIRE IN THE WAIOTAHI.

A house situated on the Shamrock battery site, on the Waiotahi caught fire last night at a little before nine o'clock, all the contents, or nearly all, being totally destroyed. It was a one-roomed house, owned by a man named Dan Elkin, miner, who narrowly escaped with his life. The origin of the fire is unknown, but the only reason that can be assigned is that the man went to sleep leaving the candle burning, and that the candle set fire to some paper. Elkin made his escape through the only window in the house—after the fire had obtained a strong hold—the thick smoke preventing him from finding the door; as it was, he was nearly suffocated, and in making his exit through the window, cut his face and hands fearfully; his hair is also singed by the fire. A number of persons at once collected at the scene of the fire, among them «Mr. Brodie, manager of the Shamrock, who feared that the battery might be in danger, as the burning house was only distant from it about 20 yards. Elkin was sent to the hospital, where be was immediately attended to. The fire having obtained a firm hold of the shanty, nothing could be done to save it, but after the fire became extinguished, Mr. Brodie and some others endeayored to ascertain if anything remained that would be valued by the unfortunate owner. They found his box, which was charred, and the contents burnt. At the bottom they discovered Elkin'spocket-book containing anumber of notes, the greater part being burnt. Mr. Brodie took possession of them, and gave them to Mr. Murray, of the Bank of New Zealand, this morning. Mr. Severn separated the notes, or the pieces, very carefully, and it was found that there were thirteen, the numbers on most of them being discernible. It is intended to lay the notes out on adhesive paper, and send them to the head office, and it is hoped that Elkin will obtain some, if not the full, value for the notes, This is the more to be hoped, as Elkin is a hardworking man, and has lost all his worldly possessions in the fire.