HOW SOME FIRES DO ORIGINATE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2421, 9 January 1882, Page 3

HOW SOME FIRES DO ORIGINATE.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sib,—The origin of the fire at Mr Daniel Reese's timber yard appears not to be knowD, and of the Union Bank fire it is stated " the cause is quite beyond conjecture; " and with these hurried first impressions the publio are expeoted to rest quite satisfied and to go on their way rejoicing, consoling themselves that it did not happen mysteriously on their own premises. But to most reflective minds it must be a source of frequent wonder and marvel that a heavy fire does not take place every night in Ohristohurch, considering that the back premises of the majority of our merchants' places of business are oaref ully Btocked with all that is requisite for a bonfire—straw from packages, paper in heaps, and cardboard and wooden boxes and paoking cases "piled up mountains high," as I said before in a letter in the " Press " dated 24th March, 1881, but of which no notice whatever was taken by the authorities.

Then, further, as an invitation to " loafers" and inebriates, gateways to baok premises are often left quite open for general use, and some drunken fellows occasionally make use of these comfortable arrangements to pass an hour or two, or a night, in peaceful slumbers —on awakening from whioh, it .would be anti-colonial to suppose them capable of action, without the indispensable pipe and matches, any droppings from whioh on the bed of dry papers would be the last link in the chain of oircumstanoes to which I have to draw attention, as the more than probable causes of at least half the fires that occur during the "small hours of the morning." On Saturday evening, after a day's pressing business* I was posting my correspondence at the chief office, when the storm of rain threatened so muoh, that I thought it best to call again at my office for a mackintosh ; in doing whioh I heard mysterious smothered groans from some one in the baok yard, and looking out from an upper window I saw, poßtrate on his back, with upturned face, a colossal form, reposing between empty cases, on a bed of dry papers. As speaking to him was found of no avail, and being too big, and too filthy, a man for me to lift up, I thought the wisest plan was to give information to the police in order to prevent the risk of another fire happening close behind another large Bank in the centre of the town.

The result was, although I had business in an opposite direction, I had, after fruitless: search for a policeman in the immediate' neighborhood, to go to the Hereford street head-quarters; shortly after whioh an obliging officer aooompanied me to the spot, and, "taking in the situation," remarked—"lt; was well indeed that I had not left the man there, as he might have died from exposure before morning," the heavily falling rain at that moment having no effeot in rousing himj from his torpor. I should apologise for the length of this! letter, but it is hoped that the neoessarily de-l tailed circumstantial.evidence contained in it! will at last lead; to something practical being done by the City Council to prevent the recurrence of large fires in the middle of the night. i I enclose my card.for reference, but not! necessarily for publication.- Facts are fact>,| but by whom stated is of ten quite unnecessary; to be known., j- • .■..•'• . j , i : Yours, &c, \ CAUTION No. IL : i Chrißtchuroh, January 9fch; 1882., , j