FIRE BRIGADE DEMONSTRATION IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 4311, 20 December 1876, Page 3

FIRE BRIGADE DEMONSTRATION IN CHRISTCHURCH.

The annual torchlight procession of the Christchurch and suburban Fire Brigades took place in the evening of anniversary day, and was, as in years gone by, witnessed by a large crowd of people. Indeed, the mass of the public was so dense that it was with great difficulty that Mr Superintendent Harris could marshal the way for the brigades. At last, however, they got off pretty well together, and in the following order :—Band (15), Pioneer Company (9), the Eire Police (20), the Extinguisher Company (14), the Kaiapoi Brigade (18), the Dreadnought Company (12), a detachment of the Hokitika Brigade (7), the Eangiora Brigade (18), the Deluge company (14), and the Lyttelton Brigade (15), making a total of 144—certainly a very respectable tum-outfor Christchurch. The engines were all very handsomely decorated, but, unfortunately, a S. ac .? lt^. happened to the Pioneer soon after it started from Cheater street to join the procession at Cashel street bridge. The upper portion of the engine had been very handsomely fitted up and decorated with illuminated canvas to represent the dome and cross of St. Paul’s; but an untoward collision, soon after turning from Chester into Colombo street, knocked the dome over, and greatty interfered with the general effect or this part of the decorations. Indeed, it was nearly half-past nine before the procession finally moved off. The decorations of the Extinguisher consisted of a number of revolving and Chinese lanterns, which gave this engine a very pretty appearance. But the chef d (euvre in the way of beauty of design was undoubtedly in the case of the ■Dreadnought, whose decorations consisted of a crystal fountain made of strips of glass and so arranged that they looked like real . water. When the reflection from the colored hre was upon this apparently falling water, the effect was very beautiful, reminding one of the Fakir of Oulu’s Fairy Fountains. The Deluge bore four transparencies on its sides, hirst, an imaginary fire scene; second, an amusing picture showing a man in flames through spontaneous combustion, with the brigade playing on him vigorously; third, the city coat of arms ; and fourth, Noah’s Ark, a very appropriate design for an engine named after the great flood. The pyfo technic display was certainly a very brilliant °? 6 ’ * the most enthusiastic plaudits of the assembled thousands. The materials destroyed wera four large Cathenne wheels, one revolving sun, Prince oi Wales feathers, a five-pointed fixed star, a number of silver fountains, sky rockets, together with port rockets, Roman candles, and golden rains innumerable. The pyro technic display lasted for about half-an-hour It is estimate* that 10,000 persons witnessec the demonstration.

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