FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1917, Page 1

FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

EMPTY SHOPS DAMAGED IN MANCHESTER. STREET-

PANIC IN adjoining hotel,

CHRISTCHURCH November 21

A few minutes before lo'elock this morning an alarm was received by the City (Brigade for a fire in a row of three unoccupied shops in Manchester Street South, between the Metropolitan Private Hotel and Scott’s fouurry. The buildings were ablaze fiercely before tbe Brigade arrived, but the lire was checked very promptly, and although the buildings were badly damaged, the loss was probably not more than £3OO or £IOO. The lire was evidently the work of an incendiary. The alarm was given by Sergeant M Kae who was walking along Colombo Street when lie saw a burst' o] smoke and flame from what lie thought was Holmes’ Boardinghouse next to yCfoker.’s Hotel. He cycled through Belfast Street, and broke the street alarm at the corner of Manchester hud St. Asaph Streets. The fire had broken out of the shop fronts meanwhile It lid 'half a dozen constables, converging from the different beats, were nbks to warn the inmates of the Metropolitan Boardinghouse, kept by Mrs. L.jjfM. Gregory. This build mg contained thirty rooms, and is of three storeys, in bl’iek Some of the. inmates were seized .With panic probably in remembrance of 1 the fatal fire at the Silver Grid boardinghouse, in the next block of buildings, and men and women rushed hurriedly into the street in their nightclothes. Once more the Salvation Army. People's Palace threw open its doors, to the refugees and arrangements’.wore made to put them up for the night il the lire should spread, Holmes’s Boarding house, immediately opposite -the burning building was s°on emptied as well, and the .alarm was given ;in Coker’s Hotel, but the wind was seting from the east and these two buildings were not threatened. Hie burning buildings wore twostoreyed and principally in wood, with brick dividing walls. The fire had extended to the roof, hut it was very soon got under. The central shop suffered most severely, and h.v appearances the lire had started there, probably on tbe ground floor. The shops had all been empty for some time,” the last tenant being Mr. Blum ski, who had conducted a fried fish saloon, in the shop next door to Scott’s foundry, but lie bad been away for two months. There were sheds at the hack of the buildings, but high brick walls on either side, precluded the possibility of the fire spreading. The burned buildings as well as the Metropolitan Boardinghouse, were own'd by B. M. Morten’s estate. The insurances were not available, but it was ascertained that Mrs Gregory’s furniture was insured in the Phoenix office.

Tin* origin of the fires is unknown. Tii must! have broken out suddenly for Constable* Bakeii had passed the shop ton minutes before* tht* outbreak, was discovered.

Both the police and Superintendent Warner are strongly of opinion that the fire was the work of an incendiary and incline to the belief that the fatal fire at the. “Silver Grid'’ Boardinghouse on Monday morning and the outbreak at Coker’s Hotel on the same evening, are also connected with the lire this morning. It will he reniembertiil that four distinct outbreaks were found in Coker’s hotel on Monday evening and one on the following day. Tt tis regarded as remarkable coincidence 1 that, all the recent fires have occurred in two city block adjoining each other and that Coker’s Hotel is almost directly opposite the building damaged this morning.