THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2116, 15 February 1908, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRES.

AN ARREST EFFECTED. BRIGADE SUPERINTENDENT’S STATEMENT. VOLUNTEER FIRE PQLICE CORPS ADVOCATED. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 'l4. The city’s experience last night leaves no room for doubt that incendiarists aro at work in Christchurch. Tliero were six small outbreaks of fire last night, in each case amongst rubbish in a yard or right-of-way. The premises threatened were : Whitcombe .and Tombs’ buildings, the Christchurch “Press” office, the Cafe de Paris, Mr. G. Andrew’s butcher shop, Mr. Vic.’ Harris’ auction rooms, and Messrs Lucas, iron founders. The outbreaks were all small, and were suppressed without difficulty, but in one..or two instances, at any rate, they might have supplied the basis of a big conflagration. The fact that fires, so closely resembling one another in general character, should occur in one evening, is strong evidence of incendiarism, but the facts collected by the police and the fire brigade go further still. In the case of the Press office fire traces of kerosene were found amongst the rubbish in which the outbreak occurred.

A man was seen running away from V. H. Harris’ premises just as the fire was first noticed, but no one went in pursuit, the only observer, an employee of the United Service Hotel, being more intent on giving the alarm. A man was seen rummaging amongst some of the rubbish at the back of the A 1 hotel, by Andrews’ shop, just before an outbreak of fire was discovered there. He also made off. It is stated that one of the men suspected in collection with the outrages, a half-caste negro, was seen in the vicinity immediately before four of the six fires. This morning the half-caste was detained by the police pending an investigation of all the circumstances, and a search is being made for the man or men with whom he has been associated. The suspected man is understood to hail from Wellington, but has been in Canterbury for some time. He has not thrown any light on last night's occurrence himself.

Tho police are disposed to regard the acts of incendiarism as stupid jokes, rather than as serious attempts to start big fires. The outbreaks they put out, occurred in every case in rubbish boxes, and were not at all likely to constitute any grave danger to the adjoining premises, and a little effort suffice!! to extinguish the flames. Last night, however, they warned the proprietors of hotels in the city to keep a watchful eye on such danger points as open yards and rights of way. The fire brigade men take a more serious view of the position. “It is no joke to the brigade,” said Superintendent Smith to a Star reporter this morning. “We have been kept on the jump ever since the big fire, and you have to remember tliat we have only two permanent men, tlie rest are volunteers. I have two men working all the time repairing hose, and last night the firemen got very little rest. All the people who insist on 'keeping their rubbish exposed are as much to blame as any one. All rubbish should be placed in galvanised iron tins with tops, and the use of inflammable wooden boxes for this purpose should not be allowed at all.” Christchurch has suffered from a succession of fires since the big disaster of last week, scarcely a night having passed without a fire of some description. This is probably more coincidence, the evidence available suggesting that- the iucendiarists did not- commence tlieir nefarious work until last night, but the public has no very definite assurance on the point, as even the big fire itself, it is poiutedPiSTit, was first discovered just inside a door down a right-of-way The outbreak at tho Cafe de Paris last night, which shorth* before 7 o’clock, was a double one, two fires being discovered in the back portion of the premises, within ten mnnitdS' ol one another. Only slight damage was done, and the fires were easily extinguished, but they mighthave started a serious blaze, had they not been noticed at once. Mr J. F./Grierson to-day visited the Mayor and suggested that a meeting ot citizens be called to consider the advisableness of forming a volunteer fire police corps, as was done onco before in Christchurch, v lien a body of 200 men were sworn ui, to deal primarily with an outbreak ot incendiarism. Air. Grierson pointed out that such a corps would be im aluablo m case of a lar"e fire and that during a period of incendiarism men might be used to advantage to patrol the eitv. The Mayor has promised to consider the

llic half-cast© who lias been arrested has been identified as one of three men who asked Air .Andrews foi a match shortly before the fire was diseovcrnl at the back of the A 1 hotel.