like ,£500. Amongst the townsmen who distinguished themselves in endeavouring to check the disaster are specially mentioned, Messrs. William Wright, Oliver Gourlay, J. B. Quarry, James Purvis, D. S. Campbell, with Drs. C. J. Sanford and W. H. Campbell. The Melbourne Insurance Company would lose about ,£6000, as Hart, Riddle, Turnbull, Orr and Co. had insured with it. At the time of the calamity, Mr. E. Curr, the owner of Melbourne Chambers, had a proposal for its insurance for ^£1200, under consideration of an office in Sydney, and the result was not known. It was afterwards ascertained that the acceptance was not obtained in time. Shortly after the breaking out of thefireall the books and papers of the Savings Bank and the Insurance Company were removed from the Chambers and sent across the street for safe-keeping at the Bank of Australasia, which had also made preparations to take in the valuable securities of the Union Bank, corner of Queen and Little Flinders Streets. At one period of the night, when there was some apprehension that theflamesmight take a wide circuit, and make a raid upon the south central line of Collins and other streets, books, notes, coin, etc., were packed ready to be moved from harm's way ; but the emergency did not occur, and the managerial panic subsided. The origin of the fire was a mystery, though rumour accounted for it in that Hart, who was near-sighted, passed through the shop with a lighted candle, and had setfireto some pieces of gauze ; but this he positively denied, declaring that his shop had been closed as usual on the Saturday night, and not re-opened, and, consequently, not entered until thefirewas discovered. Property in all to the value of ,£10,000 was reported to have been destroyed, and much indignation was expressed at the culpably gross neglect of the Insurance Company, in omitting to have anyfirepreventive appliances in readiness, not even a proper ladder or bucket, much less anything in the guise of a fire-engine. The church bells invariably rung out the alarm offirewhenever such a casualty occurred, and again on a Sunday morning (9th March, 1845),tneY tolled for other than Divine service, for afireoccurred at an auction mart, kept by a Mr. Boyd, next door east of the Royal Hotel (now Union Bank) in Collins Street. The previous weather had been so hot that almost everything was in an ignitible condition, and it was supposed that there was a feast of rats in the auction room, and that the rodents were enjoying themselves on lucifer—hence the mishap. The police, military, and an immense crowd were soon on the spot, but not until considerable property was destroyed, not only by thefire,but by the ill-directed zeal of the mob. The auction-room was reduced to something like a charred shell, but the upper story and back buildings were uninjured.
THe First Fire at a Brewery.
Mr. Henry Condell, the first Mayor of Melbourne, was a brewer, and his establishment and residence were situated in Little Bourke Street, a short distance east of the north-eastern corner of Swanston and Little Bourke Streets, adjoining the now Condell Lane. About 8.30 p.m., of the 15th July, 184^ some street Arabs, in passing, observed smoke in large volumes issuing from the malt-house, and gave an alarm Flames immediately after burst through the roof, and in ten minutes the whole place was a huge burning mass. The wind was blowing from the north-east, and the glare illuminated the town, like an electric light Thefireraged with much fury, and occasionally a tongue offlame,yielding before the wind, would throw itself across the narrow street, almost touching the houses on the opposite side. Crowds hastened to the spot; the police were there; a detachment of the 99th regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Blamire was speedily turned out, and the Mayor (Dr. Palmer) drove up in hot haste. The Cornwall Insurance Company had an engine in Melbourne, and it soon arrived. Condell's residence was in great danger, and it was little short of a miracle that it escaped ; but it did, at the expense of torn-away doors, smashed windows broken furniture, and much dilapidation, a deal of unnecessary damage, as usual, resulting from the over zeal and mischievous tendencies of those present. Thefire-enginewas of some service in playing upon the malt-house; and it would be impossible to exceed the daring and activity of some of the townsmen in scaling walls, removing property and bucketing water, a good supply of which was kept up by the water carters, who then served the town from the Yarra pumps. Three clergymen were conspicuous in the' exertions to control and stimulate the efforts of the numerous army of volunteers. They were the Re • P B. Geoghegan and R. Walshe (Roman Catholic), and James Forbes (Presbyterian). The Mayor was also
