THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9075, 15 February 1908, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRES.

VARIOUS THEORIES. AN EXTRAORDINARY OUTBREAK. Press Association. Christchurch, February 14. The city’s experience last night leaves no room for doubt that incendiarists are at work in Christchurch. There were six small*' outbreaks of fire last night in each case amongst rubbish in & yard or right-of way. The premises threatened were Messrs Whitcombs and Tombs’ buildings, the Christchurch Press office, the Cafe de Paris, Mr G, Andrew’s butchers’ shop, Mr Victor Harris’ auction rooms, and Messrs Lucas’ iron foundry.

The fact that six fires so closely resembling one another in general character should occur, in one evening is strong evidence of incendiarism, but the facts collected by the police and the Fire Brigade go further still. In the case of the Press office fire traces of kerosene _ were J found amongst the rubbish in whicn the outbreak occurred. s A man seen rummaging rubbish at the back of the (A 1 Hotel by Andrews’ shop just before an outbreak of fire was discovered “there. He also made off. A man was seen running away from Mr V. Harris’ premises just as the fire was noticed. No one went in pursuit, the only observer —an employee of the Untied Service Hotel—being more intent on giving the alarm. It is stated that one of the men suspected in connection with the outrage is a half-caste negro, who was seen in the vicinity immediately before four of the six fires.

This morning the half-caste was detained by the police pending an investigation of all the circumstances, and a search is being made for the man or men with whom he had been associating. The suspected man is understood to hail from Welllington, but has been in Canterbury for some time. He has not thrown any glight on last night’s occilrrence himself. The police are disposed to regard the acts of incendiarism as stupid jokes rather than as serious attempts they point out, occurred in every case in rubbish boxes, and were not at all likely to constitute any very grave danger to the adjoining preises. A little effort sufficed to extinguish the flames last night. However, they warned the proprietors of hotels in the city to keep a watchful eye on such danger points as open yards and rights-of-way. The Fire Brigade men take a more serious view of the position. “It is no joke to the Brigade, ” said Supt. Smith to a Star reporter that morning. ‘‘ We have been kept ‘on the jump’ ever since the big fire, and you have to remember that we have only two permanent men ; the rest are volunteers. I have two men working all the time, repairing hose and last night the firemen got very little rest at all. The people who insist on keeping their rubbish exposed are as much [as anyone. All rubbish should be placed in galvanised iron tins with tops, and the use of inflammable wooden boxes for this purpose should not be allowed'at all. Christchurch has suffered from a succession of fires since the “big disaster of last week, scarcely a night having passed without a fire of some description. This is probably a mere coincidence, the evidence available suggesting that the incendiarists did not commence their nefarious work until last night, but the public has no very definite assurance on the point. Even the big fire itself, it is pointed out, was first discovered just inside a door, down a right-of-way. The outbreak at the Cafe cle Paris last night, which occurred shortly before 7 o’clock, was a double one, two fires being discovered in the back portion of the premises within ten minutes of one another. Only slight damage was done, and the fires were easily extinguished, but they might have started a serious blaze had they not been noticed at once.

Mr J. F. Grierson to-day visited the Mayor, and suggested that a meeting of citizens might very well be called to consider the advisableness of forming a volunteer fire police corps, as was ouce in vogue before in Christchurch, when a body of 200 men were sworn in to deal primarily with an outbreak of incendiarism. Mr Grierson pointed out that such a corps would be invaluable in case of a large fire, [and that during a period of incendiarism the men might be used to advantage in patrolling the city. The Mayor has promised to consider the matter. The half-caste who has been arrested has been identified as oiie of three men who asked Mr Andrews for a match shortly before the fire was discovered at the back of the A 1 Hotel.