FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3250, 13 July 1871, Page 2

FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Last night, about nine o'clock, a fire broko out in the stables of Mclntosh's New Zcalander Hotel, by which they wero nearly destroyed, and a man named William Andrews, but known generally as " Dirty Dick," was burned to death while asleep in a lofb in the stable. Fortunately there was no wind at the time, otherwise the hotel might havo been burnt down also. Mr Mclntosh, however, is a severe loser by the occurrence. Although he is paying a heavy insurance upon tho hotel (about £96 a year we believe), neither tho stables nor the furniture was insured ; and, owing to tho usual state of wild excitement which prevails at fires, the furniture of the hotel was thrown and knocked about in the most reckless manner. The smoke rising from the stables was seen by persons in the neighborhood several minutes before tho inmates of the hotel know of it, tho stables having been left secure some time before by the ostler. On the alarm being given, a crowd collected, and all the horses were got out uninjured 5 but as no one knew that the deceased was sleeping in tho stables, and the engines were not immediately on the ground, the flames had soon enveloped all tho out-buildings,so that ifc would have been impossible to rescue the poor man, even had his sleeping place been known to any one present. In about a quarter of an hour all the engines were backed into the sea at the foot of Lombard street, and in a few more minutes the hose were laid and several streams of water were playing upon the stables. Up to this time several persons were very active in ply'ng buckets of water, obtained from wells and tanks, onthohotel,which,owingto the slate roof on the lean-to, they were enabled to preserve, so Unit tho building is comparatively uninjured. In a short time the flames, which had completely seized upon tho stables, were exfinguishoJ, and tho firemen entering tho buildings for tho purpose of completing their work, soon discovered tho remains of the rnau Andrews partially burned j but from the appearance of the body, it is aupposcd that he was first suffocated by tho dense smoke which was very dense before the flames found full vent. In addition to the engines of the Firo Brigades, we observed that Captain Ferris, of the Armed Constabulary, turned out the force, who were soon on the ground with their engine, in readiness in order to render assistance ehould the firo have been likely to spread. We were sorry to see, amid so much luudablo energy displayed by our firemen to preserve property, a very large amount of thoughtless and destructive zeal in tho handling of Mr M'lntosh'a furniture, a zeal which leaves him a very serious loser. An inquest will, wo believe, bo held on tho body of Andrews at tho Now Zealander Hotel to-day. The hotel was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £1500, but as the main building was not actually injured by fire, the entire loss thereby falls on ' Mr M'lntosh.