FIRE AT DIAMOND HARBOUR.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14909, 24 February 1914, Page 7

FIRE AT DIAMOND HARBOUR.

« —. —- BLAZE IN FIR PLANTATION. A LYTTELTON SENSATION. Great excitement was ca'ised in Lyt* tel ton shortly before S o'clock last night, when news was received that a serious fire had broken out in the fir plantation surrounding tho big accom.'uodatiou huust- at Diamond Harbour. BOROUGH COUNCIL PROPERTY. The property was formerly known as the Stoddart Estate, and comprised about 500 acres. About twelve months or more ago. the Lyttelton Bcrough Council, after considering the matter for about eighteen mouth** purchased tho whole estate, with tho object of establishing a motiei trans-narbour settlement. Plans were prepared, and tho estnto was surveyed and its subdivision into suitable areas, for building purposes was decided upon. The layout of roads giving access to the different parts of the estate, and the reservation of areas for recreation and Iwautifying purposes wero also arranged. In the meantime tho Borough Council had thc big houso thoroughly renovated and altered for use as a boardinghouso. Tho building was also refurnished throughout, and since it was opened a few weeks ago it has been largely patronisod as a week-end board-ing-house. At the present time the delegates to tho Y.W.C.A. Convention are staying at tho Diamond Harbour accommodation house, and holding their daily meetings there. Tho news of the outbreak of the fire was telephoned to Lyttelton from Mr Gardner's houio in Purau.. and caused something of a sensation in tho port. Seen from tho waterfront at Lyttelton, ths fire seemed to bo a very big one, and tho flames lit up the steep point on which the plantation and the house stood. FIRE-FIGHTERS FROM LYTTELTON. Tho alarm nt Lyttelton was given by Mr L. A. Stringer, the town clerk, who is at present on holiday learo. He noticed tho blaze from his residence at Dampier Bay and'called up the Council offico, where a meeting of the Diamond Harbour Committoo was being held, Mr L. C. Walker, manager of tho Diamond Harbour Estate, also boing prosent. Tho Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr J. R. Webb), the Town Clerk (Mr L. A. Stringor), and a number of tbe Borough Councillors, alivo to the danger which threatened their valuable pro- ; perty. at onco took atops to cross the harbour and fight tho flames. 11l this thoy wero ably bached hy --a- Bert _hind (of Messrs Rhind and Co., con- '■ tractors for the ferry service), who conveyed the members of the Council i and a largo number of volunteers to [ Diamond Harbour in the stoamor Can- \ terbury. In tiro meantime, tho fire had been noticed from Fort Jcrvois, whither the steamer Purau had transported the Garrison Artillery Territorials for their weekly parade. Captain Nelson, of tho Purau, at once teft the *ort ~nd . steamed round to Diamond Harbour jetty, where be blew his whistle tract attention in case any of the ladies at the house desired to leave. 1 TUG LYTTELTON AT THE SCENE. ' In Lyttelton tho firebeU wafti"r_i_?; »• and the members of the Volunteer ' Brigade turned out promptly* ip strong r force, With a number of assistants. , Their hose-reels wcro pnt ou board ono . of tho harbour steamers, and tgsen across to Diamond Harbour. Tho Harbourmaster (Captain A. H. Thorpe) was * nlso. communicated with, f and .the Board's tug ■Ljrtifeltoit,-which is .fitted l> with tt powerful installation « J}*** >- mimps, wftfi ordered to Diamond «ar- > boutV assisfc in fighting tho firo,'; The l Lvttelteh left tho wharf atoai :; : 8 j p.M,, and arrived nt Diamond fnthour - noint A few minutes Inter, .nt Bert - Rhind who with other*, wait working . gamely in ah effort to cheek the rapid i progress of the fire, Ordered the Purau . to stand by the tug. after landing a . number of firemen nnd other volunteers, to assist h*r ift hoi* operations. I Tlie tug took W «■ station nt the point [ at the entrance to I*iiran Bay: and I landed her fire hose in one of. her boats. I She soon got to work with her P"#P. . and although the Water had to be lifted [ a good height. Sh* directed A h\Z stream of water through .the hoae, wnic.h i wai used with telling-effect 6ft the . blafce. . ■. ' ;_,' , Luckily there was an ample length oi ' hos«. over three.hundred yards*f'it, I and the pressure of Water Wo* Sufficient, to have reached aft hiiz_h ft» the seoPhd \ story of the hccorflftlddfttian hottSe had j it been necessary. GOOD WORK BY LAMES. ! The blaze appears to havo first been, seen by some ladies who were just about to walk towards tho accommodation houso from a meeting in Connexion with the conferenco of the Y.W.C.A.. which is at present being held at Diamond Harbour. The rneCtitt&. on account of the mildness of the evening, had been held in the open air, and had just concluded When th© grasa was seen to burst suddenly into flames, immediately enveloping one of the latss pine trees which surround the property. A hurried move was matte to the hostel, from which personal effects were removed to the open grounds. This precaution, however, proved to be unnecessary as tlie flames were being bloWnin a direction clear of the building, which was about thfee to four hundred yards away. While one crowd.of ladies Were engaged in removing their effects, another ; party, possessing themselves of aOthe sacks, Which they dipped in watef, Jre- ' turned to the fife, and confined it to i certain limrta Until the arrival of the feteamct-s from across the harbour. Two ladies who displayed courage in beating ! out the flames Were Mi£s titillweJ, secrotary of the xluckland branch of the Y.W.C.A., and Mis 3C. McNeil, eecretary of thc Christchurch branch. A number of the ladies attending the conference have been sleeping outsido in tents, and for a time it seemcc! as if the flame;! would reach the tents, but the combined efforts of th© firemen ond others provided with sacks and branches of trees Were successful in averting this danger. FIRE BRIGADE'S EXCELLENT WORK. Praise is duo to Captain Harris for the manner in which he brought the tug close to the point of the fire, i and to Captain Carson and tho men of the brigade for their epeedj and excellent work in subduing the outbreak. About an hour sufficed to stamp out the fire, but on account of the wind it was deemed odvienblo to keep six firemen on the property till tho morning. The area burnt covers about two hundred yards. Several valuablo trees were destroyed. It was fortunate that tbe northerly breeze took the flames away from tho house, which escaped without being even blackened by the smoke. Tho cause of the outbreak is unknown.