DESTRUCTION OF THE DUNEDIN TRAMWAY SHED AND PLANT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3943, 7 December 1880, Page 3

DESTRUCTION OF THE DUNEDIN TRAMWAY SHED AND PLANT.

(From yestorday's Otago Daily Tirnu.) One of the mo*t destructive fites that hu occurred in Dunedin for man j yeara broke out shortly before 4 o'clock on Sunday morning in a largo wooden building on the reclaimed land below the railway station, used as an engine and tramcar shed by Mr David Proudfoot, the proprietor of the City and Suburban. Tramways. The building was also used foe . other purposes, and in it was stored a quantity of contractors' plant, the property of McBBrB Proudfoot and M'Kay, valued at £500, and uninsured ; nearly all the appar ratuß used in connection with the eleotrw lights which have been exhibited on several .occasions in this city, and between 8000 and 4000 bushels of oata. It contained , also thirty -six carß and sevon valuable engines* ; besides duplicate wheels, fittings, &c. .Tho origin of the fire is at the present time a rnjotery, but there is good reason to believe thftt it was tho work of an incendiary, whose object was to injure Mr Proudfoofc by interrupting the traffic on the trfttn-linea. The I building wbb ft very old one, and for many ' yoara did duty as the First Ohurch. It waa purchased by Mr Proudfoot and removed to the reclaimed land, whera it was re-erected for the purpose which it woe serving when destroyed. It waa rebuilt with four door» facing tho wharf, and on tho night of the fire the three doors nearest the city were closed, tho fourth and farthest to windward being open, a car standing half in and half out. In this car the fire ia supposed to have started, although, bo far as we can ascertain, no stranger had been Been about the premises. Thoro were two men in the ehed at tho time of the outbreak — one a watchman, and tho other as | engine-oleanor. We are assured that there wa* no fire bn the premises. The man who was engaged as cleaner used a torch lamp, ■ and when he and the other man went into . ono of tho cars "to have their supper the j usod a hurricane lamp, like thoße used by contractors to warn travellers against street, obstructions. Ono of the men soon became conscious of the fact that thore was Bmoke in ; the building, and. they .immediately became alarmed ; but in tho spaco of a few seconds tho flames burst forth close to the only open door, and it wbb with tho greatest difficulty that they madotheir escape through a window. Ono of them rushed up to town to give the alarm, while the other mado an ineffectual attempt to save some of the cars. Some men belonging to vessels lying alongside the wharf were aroused by tho glare and noiße, but did not volunteer to assist in saving property. Tho firo bell, rang, oud tho Brigade . turned out, but their services were of little '.'. avail, and in a short spaco of time some £20,000 worth of property had beon destroyed. A b we before remtii'kod, there is little doubt but that tho place wns deliberately Bet fire to. There was scarcely any inflammable matter on the premises. Somo oil which used to hi stored there had been removed months ago, and there wan no keroaouo in the place. Tho only lights wero thoso in tho lamp ÜBed by tho fitter, and one in tho car in which the two mo& were taking their supper. Two can were got out of the building, but they were ! considerably damaged. .Everything else was completely destroyed, ss tho Brigade could do nothing to check tho progrean of the firo. Mr Proudfoot wili lose from £8000 to £10,000, aa well as tho loss of traffic, which at this period of tho year in great, notwithitanding overy exertion is to ho mado to roplace tho stook destroyed. Tho building und its contents wore worth about ;Ci3,000, and tho insurances thereon amount to £14,800, and i are tis follow : — Insurance on stock r In Northern Assurance Company £2500, .Now Zealand £4000 (£ISOO being re-in-sured in tha Victoria, end £500 in the .Mandard), jS"u(ioual £1000, Norwith Union £1000, Transatlantic £1000, Hamburg-Mag-deburg £1000, South British £1000, Australian Alliance £600 ; on tho building r Northern £500, TivjimaUanlic £1800, Hamburg nnd Magdeburg £500, NV.tionul £1000; onuats: Northern Assurance Company £300. As proving that Mr Proudfoot must be a vary heavy loser, wo may mention the fact I hat tho Union Insurance Company some mouths agj refused v direct lino of £4000, because tlio ofliec considered tho rate inadequate to tho risk, and alto rofuscd to grant what is known as a " blanket policy." The sumo Company, wo believe, also refused a reinsurance. Hit; firo may well bo regarded us a public rnlamity, for it, will interfere greatly with. tho convenience of tho public, will' moke tiavellinjj; more expensive, and has the eftrefc of i.lirowiug over 100 men on., of employment. We bflievo that, everything l.liht is possible wii. be dono to lps'en tho effect tho loss will havo upon the public. Mr Proudfoot Testerduy eont cablegrams to America and Norway fur moro eniv, and thoro happen to bo now on tho way fome cars and some 'busses I hut \vo:e bei!:<» imported to run on the si:lo ftrocts Hud tv bo • let for excursions. Sumo cars will ;:!m> ho rondo in Dunedin ; so (hut before very long the tramways will be fuirly equipped for ordinary trafllc, though doubtless ciurir-:tj the Volidnyu {lie proprietor will have Id pui, up willi a loss of traflicaßthe rciii't of tlio firo on Sunday morning. TJio I'olice iivc Im-iiy engaged making inqvi Lios info 1'il« o:i/<i« of tho tiro, and it it to bo !k'j)>-<I Shut, ti.i'ir r.Tu'tn will pro VO HUCI'Osslul, mid llj!;! f;:-riv.oii<)M will follow Upon detection. Wo luv.r i!.i ili o insurance companies interested, intend to offer a large reward fur such information as will lead to tho conviction of tho incendiary