THE HOKITIKA FIRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 371, 22 July 1869, Page 3

THE HOKITIKA FIRE.

♦ The West Coast Times of July 19 gives the following summary of the damage. done by the recent fire. The total loss is estimated at £30,000: — Mr Cosgrave, draper, removal of portion of stock.".* Damage, nominal. Mr Salomons, v x>baccouist ; removal of stock, £50. y M'Kay, tentmafer ; removal, £100. Mendellsson, tobacconist ; removal. Solomon and Co.; removal, £350. Faulkner, hairdresser; loss, £50. The building (pulled down) belonged to Mr Morgau, and was worth £100. Cavil, confectioner ; stock and premises, £300. Earaage, tailor; stock destroyed, £100. The building belonged to Mr Hinchcliffe, whose loss cannot be less than £150. Moss, bookseller ; stock and premises, £500. Meyerstein, ironmonger ; premises and stock, £2000. Eising Suu Hotel, Mr M'Goveren. Stock, £200; premises, £1000. The building was a two-storey one, and the unfortunate owner had, during the* year, spent £600 on improvements. Nothing was insured. Eoss, fruiterer. — Premises, stock, furniture, and clothing, £600. Amongst the stock was a quantity of expensive seeds. It is also reported that Mr Eoss has lost a cash-box containing sixty sovereign, but we were unable to get any authentic particulars. Levey's, Oyster Saloon. — Stock and fitting?, £50. Mr Levey reports that he has lost besides, £30. The value of the building may be set down at £100. Haig and Perkins, Photographers. — Stock and premises, £500. Hotel de France, and Southland Eestaurant. — These hotels were expensively fitted up. Mr Hansen loses about £1800. Casino de Venice. — Mr E. Walker estimates his loss at £600. The value of the premises, which belong to Mr Cassius, is set down at £2000. Goldstein, Clothier. — Some of Mr Goldstein's goods were saved, but a very large proportion was burnt. He estimates the amount loßt on property, including cottage at the back, and stock to be oyer £2000. Mr Webb, the fruiterer, who lost all, estimates his loss at £400. Oriental Hotel. — The late tenant, Mr Luks, had a fortunate escape, having left the house only on Friday. Mr Cassius was owner of the property, which he valued at £1000. Amongst the property burned was a very valuable billiard-table. The heaviest sufferer of all was Mr Johnstone, the ironmonger. His stock was very large, and with the premises, could not be worth less than £5000. Mr Osborne, jeweller, saved his stock. The premises belonged to Mr Johnstone. Value, £100. Tillbrook and Ivess, £100. Mr Haworth, ironmonger, stock and premises, £1000. Mr Last, whose building was pulled down, cannot be a sufferer to less than £50. The premises belonged to Mr Lie mer, formerly in business as a hairdresser here. Value £100. Mr Williams, the chemist, whose premises were saved, estimated his loss by removal, breakage, &c, at about £500. On the opposite side of the street, Mr J. B. Clarke, and Hay and M'Kellar escaped with but nominal damage. The residents further down were not so fortunate. Each and all suffered by the removal of their goods, and damage by fire and water. The buildings were all more or less injured by fire, there being scarcely a window left whole from beginning to end. Tbe amount of damage varied in amount from £200 to £10. We have omitted to state that the work of those engaged in checking the progress of the fire was aided by the chopping of the wind, which veered southward when the principal operations at the north end were carried out. As far as we could learn none of the sufferers were insured. In fact there was not a penny of insurance on the whole of the property or stock destroyed. We were informed that the former proprietor of Johnstone's premises had an insurance of £1500, but the present loser had not. It is scarcely

possible yet to calculate accurately the losses by removal, but we do not think they will prove greater than we have stated.

Valuable Discoveby. — A sensation has been created among the Continental savans by the discovery in the library of St. Mark, Venice, of a mass of Greek and Latin documents. Among them are " many new works by Archimedes," a poem by Hesiod, an epic by Josephus on Jesus Christ, a Hebrew translation of Hesiod by Moses, and a complete collection of the laws of Solon. Further particulars will be awaited everywhere with great interest. A velocipede " professor," after having made some money at Waterbury, Connecticut, by opening a riding school, sold out his interest, reserving the right to give a farewell exhibition. He announced for one night a grand exhibition, and the first appearance of the champion female velocipedist in Boston. Shaving off his whiskers and moustache he donned female attire, and rode his bibycle, to the amazement of a large audience. At midnight he left town with the proceeds of the exhibition, and without settling lm board billl. mmmmßß^tmmmammmi^mmßßmam—mmmmmmfam^m