Notes and Comments.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 175, 13 July 1901, Page 3

Notes and Comments.

The fatal fire in Sydney, while not to be compared in rea leap for gard to loss of life LIFE. with that which lately occurred in Auck-

land, ptill shows that each And every such catastrophe discloses a lack of appliances for life saving. The cabled report says, that about . twenty minutes past eight, just ae the employees were beginning to arrive to commence their daily duties, fire was discovered in the basement of the central building of Anthony Hordon’s huge block, covering several acres. The whole of the central buildings were of a most inflammable nature, and in a few moments It was a pile of seething flames, which roared through the windows like a blast furnace, and leapt across, Parker street, a distance of about 80ft. The flames entered the - second storey of the giant furniture warehouse, which was 100 feet high, and faced gasometers. From, floor to floor it rushed with in■cr alible fury, breaking through the windows at each floor, and admitting a strong southerly wind to hasten the work of destruction. A great concourse of spectators gathered, and a thrill of horror shot through them as the lonely figure ‘of a man appeared on the parapet. He clung to the ornamental brickwork on the top of the building, shifting his position occasionally as

a gust of wind fanned the tongue oAiame fcom the windows beneath in his direction. Then came alife•saving apparatus. A marvellous hudh°fell over all as the ladders ware unreeled, in the direction of the parapet. The hush was broken by an audible moan as the ladders failed to reach within 80 feet of the top. Meantime the Rocket Brigade tried to fire a line over the but for some reason at present unexplained the apparatus failed. The flames now again made a ferocious lick at the victim, who saw his only hope of deliverance was, gone. Then with a gesture of 'despair be jumped a clear 100 feet into the roadway, and never stirred. Had the fire occurred later, the tragedy would have been of great magnitude. It is a matter for contulation that the loss of life was - —V/Aiall, but with out present fledge it sehms as if that life sacrificed because someone had blundered. However, it does Beem as if these things wUI ever ghaogei

■ That much decried and disparage! gentleman, tho Duki coals, of Cornwall ant •of fike. York, has evidently f keeiv* sense of hu mouir, and his latest command hai also followed Biblical instructions to the letter. The Hon. W. HallJones, Minister for Public Works has received a memorandum froir the Governor, who states that he has been commanded by the Duke of Cornwall to thank the Minister for his kind attention to detail in the various residences, both of himself and of his staff, which sc largely contributed to his comfort during his visit to New Zealand. If he has any sense of shame, the Minister will squirm on receiving this polite note after his treatment of the Royal suite in regard to Bearle’s Hotel. Perhaps, however, he will smirk self-satisfiedly, and pat himself on the bead, and say, “ What a good boy am I." But other people will not forget the incident, and its telling will not redound to the Minister’s credit. That one man, in the position of a Minister of the Cabinet, should behave boorishly on such an occasion, is extremely regrettable. Perhaps, however, the “ coals of fire ” will have a salutary efifefct.