MORE FIRE ALARMS

Temuka Leader, Issue 2102, 23 September 1890, Page 3

MORE FIRE ALARMS

On Saturday evening last, shortly I after nine o'clock, the fire bell at Greraldine rang out an alarm, and a big glare at the south end of the town showed that a large fire of some description was burning in that direction. The street was soon full of hurrying and excited people making their way towards the conflagration. It was found that a big gorse fence at tha rear of Mr W. W. Campbell's new wheelwright's shop, next door ( to the Bush Hotel, was burning furiously. As the fence ran close to his painting shop and along to the Bush Hotel stables things began to look serious. Pending the arrival of' the fire brigade those present carried ' water from the race, and, aided by a gap in the fence, kept the flames within bounds and prevented any serious damage being done. When the brigade arrived their services were not needed. Uaptain Walton ordered his men to put a few buckets over the embers and made everything safe. _ On Sunday evening about eight o'clock the cry of "fire," raised by a number of children, brought people in the vicinity of the Bush Hotel again to their doors, and on making enquiries it was found that a straw stack belonging to Mr J. I Kennie had been wantonly Bet o,fl sre, I The stack was built; about fpu,r feet j from a big gorse fence whiph in. turn j extencledliQ within a foot or two of a cottage owne4 fey Mr E. H. Pearpoint and occupied by My J. J, Guy. A numbep of people were quickly on the spot, and a good supply of water being available buckets were brought into requisition, and an effort made to keep the flames from spreading to the gorse fence. Thanks to the downpour of top or %« s^ac g was pretty wet, but toing built tu turn the rain the greater part of the water poured on to it ran off. The inside being perfectly dry the fire burnt away there right merrily, and on any opening being made to get water to it the I flames darted out. Seeing that the fire was gaining the mastery of those fighting it and that it was only a qaestion of time when the flames would burst out in a body, a mesr-

senger was sent post haste to ring the fire bell and bring the brigade. The churches being just out the ringing of the bell attracted a large crowd to the fire. Some twenty or thirty willing hands set to work to remove the end of the stack not yet on fire. This was soon done, while another body of men under the supervision of -Constable Willoughby did their best by means of wet sackß, wet straw, and water to keep the flames in till the arrival of the brigade. The fight was quite an exciting ome. Every avaiU able bucket was in use, aod those persons who could do nothing else kept a sharp look out for the bursting out of the flames, and by strenuous efforts the latter were to a certain extent kept down while the arrival of the brigade was anxiously looked for, and their delay wns freely commented on. The bell" was rung the second time in downright earnest, and time the brigade went down, but? after reaching the spot it was some eleven minutes before they had water playing on the flames. During all this time the crowd had been having a stand up fight with the flames, whiah had bested them a few minutes before the engine arrived, and were complaining bitterly of the brigade's delay. After a few minutes playing of the hose the stack was pulled apart, the water put on to it, and all danger was over. Where all worked bo well it would be invidious to mention rraanes, but Mrs Sugrue certainly deserves special mention for the great assistance she rendered when the fire was first discovered. It was greatly owing to her exertions that the flames were kept down as they were. Constable Willoughby afterwards arrested a boy named Gore who owned to having set fire to the stack. The practice of raising fires for the purpose of turning out the brigade has now become a downright nuisance m Geraldine, and it is to be hoped that the police will take active measures to put a stop to such an annoying practice.