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Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6504, 31 December 1881, Page 4

That greet disaster et the Yteanete Theatre is nut without its crumb of comfort to Colonial people. In Yienn* they hive t- splendid utter supify. Thtt Is exactly what Christchurch has not got In Tienns, on toe other band, they have a very bad fire prevention aerrice. In Ohriatchurcb the service Is in every way excellent So much toe veriest stranger might have gathered from a perusal of one of our late issues. . In one eolumn, n cable message told of toe condemnation, passed in Titans npon the lire Prevmition Service, which not only signally fiuied to put out the fire in the Bing Theatre, but, by its blundering; actually contrived to increase the mortality among toe rictus lo the meet dreadful extant Another column contained the accounts of some evolutions performed by firemen, in the most astonishingly raped and complete manner, at one of the annual Christchurch gatherings. These two columns would give a stranger the impreeatons we have stated. Bestdents know, betides, that at our fire* efficiency is the leading characteristic of the whole Fire Prevention Service, both of toe Fire Brigade and of the Fire Police. There ia not mack fear that if any disaster took place at our theatre the people charged with the doty of taring life and property, would blunder into making toe place a shamble*. At toe same time we cannot forbear expressing regret that the excellent Fire Prevention Serrioe hat not been seconded by the provudon of an equally excellent water supply. This the ettisena had a good opportunity of doing a few weeks ago* hut for tome reason or other, probably unknown even to those who palled toe strings on tost melancholy occasion, they thought fit not to avail themselves of it. Thus it comes that the world's advantage* are divided like the gift* ol fortune. One place has a magnificent water supply, and a wretched Fire Prevention Serrioe. Another hea a splendid eerrioe and no water. The only thing to be said is that Fortune la blind by nature always; man very often so by folly.