The Globe. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1053, 12 November 1877, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1877.

Te k tire of yesterday, which, but for the activity and energy of the brigade, might have been most disastrous, seems to point to the necessity of some more stringent enactment as to the material of buildings. The City Council here, it is true, within certain limits, imposed conditions, but it appears to us that though these were sufficient when the city was scattered, they are not so now. Formerly there existed between the blocks open spaces which acted as preventatives of the spread of any conflagration. Now, however, these have been closed in by houses, and the result is that we have a closely packed mass of most inflammable material. This, of course, cannot now be remedied. The action of any new bye-law cannot be retrospective. But the Council can insist that all buildings erected henceforward shall be of such materials as shall to a certain extent at least, offer resistance to fire. At present every new building that is erected—excepting, of course, those in brick or stone —is but adding more fuel to the fire in case of a conflagration. They offer little or no resistance to the spread of the flames —indeed, on the contrary, in most instances, they act as conductors to more distant premises. The time has therefore, we think, arrived when the City Council should seriously consider the matter. The future safety of the city in a great measure depends upon their decision, as there can be no doubt of this, that if we go on adding more wooden shells to those already existing—far too numerous for safety—the time will come when twothirds of the city will be swept away without much possibility of saving it. There is no reason whatever why persons about to build within a certain radius should not be compelled to do so in brick or stone. The safety of the city as a whole demands some such enactment. Besides this, the appearance of our streets will be greatly improved by the erection of buildings of a more substantial class. As the present unsightly wooden edifices become dilapidated they will be replaced by buildings worthy of the importance of the city. Thus not alone will each stone or brick building erected become in itself a fire preventative, but the general appearance of Christchurch will be much improved. Let any one picture the disaster which would have ensued had the fire of yesterday not been checked where it was. An enormous block of valuable buildings, constructed of the most inflammable materials,and without —or at any rate having very slight — provision in their internal construction for staying the spread of fire, must have been destroyed. Once the fire had got firm hold of anyone of thosi buildings, and scarcely anything shor; of a miracle could have saved th< whole block. It does therefore seen to us, in view of the large amount o property at stake, that this subjeci requires very careful consideration at

the hands of our City Council. The >y-law now existing might have suited very well, as we have said, when it ,vas first made. But since then the ■ity has progressed very rapidly, and ve have now an altered state of cir■urastances. Municipal legislation, dke every other, must be progressive tt cannot stand still and allow the times to be ahead of it, and therefore we hope to see this matter taken up by some member of the Council and carried to a practical conclusion.