SERIOUS FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 322, 23 January 1908, Page 2

SERIOUS FIRE.

AT CWUSTCHUIICH HOSPITAL. i'ATIENTS SAKKLV KEAIOVJiD. A TIUiNU TIME. Per Press Association. Chi'istchurch, Last Mght. A lire occurred at the Chrislliospual tins iiiuiniii-, the brick portion of the building at the west end ueing practically gutted, thin contained the women's, children's, and men's accident wards, and between forty and lifty patients had to be removed with all possible speed wneu the oiuureak was discovered, hut no dilliculty was experienced in getting an to a place of safety. A considerable portion of the furniture was also removed, so that tlie loss will lie conlined to the building ilself. The outbreak was lirst noticed slitirlly iiciorc 10 a.m., wuen one ol the engineers saw .smoke proceeding from a ventilator on the roof ot the brick building. The portion ot the hospital .situated at tlie west end of the rambling line of singlesioricd wooden wards was erected under Uic llyman Marks Trust, and was the only really modern portion of the liospnal buildings, ll was a handsome structure in brick and stone, with a big balcony looking north over the river, unu contained two large wards, one on , eacn lloor. a smaller ward for the children, and some rooms used for special cases. At the north end was a lift, used lor taking patients to the upper Hour. ; Tlie engineer climbed on to the roof, under the impression tliat .something ! was smouldering there, but when he got '■ to the ventilator he found it in llanies, ; and an alarm wan given at once. The lire would seem to have likd a fairly strong hold under the roof, for it spread rapidly, both north and south, and when I the brigade arrived a few minutes later it had a strong hold over a considerable " area.

11l the meantime many willing helpers, under the direction of the matron and lie.r stall', had commenced to remove the patients lo a place of safety. The women and children were taken down I he lift, and the nerves of some naturally suH'ered a little from the sight of lire and smoke overhead. There were sixteen women and six or seven children, while from the accident, ward below twenty women had to be transferred. The women patient* were at once procided with accommodation in the wards and rooms of the wooden portion of the hospital, and the men anil boys were temporarily placed ill tlie long corridor, from whence they were moved into the wards as space could be found. A good deal of the furniture from the burning building was also moved to places of rialety, a large number of men taking part in this work.