FIRE AT LYTTELTON.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2681, 9 November 1882, Page 3

FIRE AT LYTTELTON.

A fix-e was discovered by Constable Kenny at 12.45 a.m. to-day in the back part of the shop of Mr Geo. Mackay, grocer, Norwich Quay, Lyttelton, supposed to have started from some embers left in the grate in the fix-eplace in the hack office. Mr Mackay had loft the office at half-past nine, or about three hours before the fire broke out. The building was an iron one, with front of wood. The upper storey was occupied for offices by Captains Sproul and Mclntyre, marine surveyors. The Lyttelton Fire Brigade had a stream of water on the fire within five minutes of the alarm being given, and they saved most of the building itself, and in splendid stylo kept the fire almost within the office in which it originated; the front store being hxxt little burnt,, and the lax-go hotel of iron—the well-known Canterbury Hotel—only slightly injured by the flames. The hxxtcher premises of Messx-s Garforth and Lee, adjoining, also wore hxxt slightly damaged. Looking at the situation of the fix-e, and the inflammable chax-acter of the sux-roundings, the work done by the brigade with the grand force of water demonstrates beyond question that Lyttelton fire prevention means something more than a name. Mr Mackay estimates his stock of groceries to have been worth .£I3OO or .£I4OO. This was insured in the Sxxn office for .£7OO. The building was insured in the National office for .£3OO. The stock is a good deal damaged by water. In connection with the fire it shoxxld be mentioned that the Fire Police succeeded admirably in keeping a clear space for the brigade to wox-k, and ax-e deserving of some share in the credit of putting out what had every appearance of being a most destructive fire in the short space of an hour from the time the fire bell Vang.