FIRE AT THE RAILWAY STATION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2015, 9 August 1880, Page 3

FIRE AT THE RAILWAY STATION.

A fire occurred at the Christchurch railway station at noon yesterday. At about twelve o’clock the alarm was given on some persons in the vicinity observing a heavy volume of smoke issuing from one of the chimnies at the western end of the station. A forcible entry into the building hud to be made, the offices all being closed on Sunday, and the fire was found to be in the manager’s office on the ground floor. At least it originated there, but spread to the onginesr’s room immediately overhead. From what could be seen from the state of things disclosed when the fire was extinguished, and the smoko cleared away, it would seem that a piece of live coal must have got underneath the wooden frame to the fire place, between one of the supports and the floor. At six 'o’clock on the evening previous Mr Back left his office, when a little fire was smouldering in the grate, and at 4 a.m, on Sunday morning the night watchman on his rounds cleared out the grates in this and other rooms, and everything appeared perfectly safe. Messre Garland and Glenn, who were among the first to notice the fire, went over to the station, accompanied by Messrs Belsham, Stevens, and L. L. Armstrong, and they were instrumental, not only in putting out the fire, but in saving all the valuable papers, nothing of importance being lost. The rooms in question wore completely gutted, the ceiling of the lower apartment being burnt through, leaving an open space the whole length of the room and some feet wide, thus the fire communicated to the engineer’s room above. The furniture was considerably damaged, and some papers were destroyed, but none, it is said, of importance. By the energetic efforts of the gentlemen abovenamed, the fire was put out before it could do further damage, and the records of the respective offices removed. Had it not been for the prompt measures taken by them the results might have been much more serious. As it turned out, the destruction of a Macintosh and pair of boots belonging to Mr Back, the traffic manager, may be counted among the worst results, not considering, of course, the expense that must be incurred to effect repairs.