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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2378, 30 October 1880, Page 3

Several of the incidents connected with the fire last evening, bordered on the ludicrous. The fire-bell sounded during the interval between the comedy and burlesque at the Theatre, and there was a sudden rush for the doors by the male portion of the audience. Several returned and resumed their seats when the gas, which had been turned off at the works, suddenly began to bum dim, and song and dialogue were cut short by the disappearance of the stage lights. As the twilight died away Manrico sighed a despairing adieu to his audience. Shortly afterwards Mr E. Love, in stentorian tones from the unspeakable darkness, breathed a fond regret, winding up his impromptu speech by striking a match, and revealing the whole strength of the company in all kinds of fleshings grouped irregularly behind him. There was a scramble in pit and stalls, and various exclamations of surprise among the ladies of the circle, who were saved from breaking their ankles as they descended the stairs by a young man who kindly squandered his last vesta and burnt his fingers in exhausting it. Another scene occurred at a later hour in one of the hotels. A few of the fireworshippers called in to have a parting nobbier, but no sooner had they given their orders and paid their money than the landlady, who had been at the scene, dropped into her chair in a fainting condition, and of course there then was a considerable loss of time and expenditure of restoratives, before the parting refreshments were obtainable. The turning off of the gas main with its alarming consequences—the extinction of a public entertainment, the jeopardising of an audience, and the beclouding of the town with total darkness—indicates that there must be a screw loose, or the want of appliances for dividing the town supplies at the gas works. The Edwin Fox which left Lyttelton on June 12 has arrived at London. It is understood that the complete papers relating to the case of Joe, the Fijian murderer, have been received from Auckland, and that the fate of the wretched man would in all probability be decided at a meeting of the Executive Council to-day. The sanitary condition of Bank Gully is simply disgraceful. Complaints have been made on several occasions about this place, hut nothing is done to remedy the evil. The stench from the gully to-day was particularly bad, and although the road passing it is a short cut to the Post Office from one part of the town, it was really necessary if one wished to avoid being turned sick, to go round by the Great North Eoad instead. When an outbreak of typhoid fever occurs, something may be done perhaps.