FIRES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17206, 25 July 1921, Page 9

FIRES.

ST. JAMES'S CHURCH, LOWER RICOARTON, DESTROYED. At an early hour on Saturday morning St. James's Anglican Church, Peverill Stret, Lower Riccarton, was completely destroyed by fire. The vicarage, which is on the same Boction, was in danger of catching, but tho wind blew the flames away, and the City Firo Brigade was successful in preventing the Ire "from spreading. Tlio inmates of tho vicarage were aroused shortly after 4 a.m. by the noise of tho fire, and when tho vicar, the-Rev. E. H. Shore, went out he found the whole church a blading mass. He immediately rang "up the City Fire Station. The call was received at- 4.27 a.m., but owing to the very strong sou'-westerly wind blowing, it was about 10 minutes before the brigade arrived on the scene. About 800 Feet of hose was run out, but the firemen were hampered by a lock of water, and they had to dig a sump in a creek neqr-by before a head of water- could be obtained. The church was then, practically burnt down. The wind blowing, carried sparks a considerable distance, and the efforts of the brigade were directed towards preventing the fire r from spreading. The,origin of the fire is a mystery. When Mr Shore left the church at 7 o'clock on Friday evening, everything was all right. A meeting of Boy Scouts was held in tho building in the evening, but tho Scoutmaster stated that there was absolutely no sign of fire, when ho left at 9.30 p.m., Tho building was a large one, containing the church prppor, a large vestry and a fine guild hall and club room. The heat was so intense that the altar cross was melted into a shapeless mass, and the metnl of a piano in the hall, was melted into one solid lump. Mr Shore lost all his vestments, and also several presentation books. The church was built in 1907, and was established as a •mission in that year- by St. Michael s Church. Additions were made to the , building in 1909 and 1913. The building I was insured J>y the Church Property Trustees as follows: —On church property £9OO, vestry £250, guild hall £2s°- - , . . Mr Shore has arranged to .conduct services in the Riccarton Town Hall. _ A public meeting of is to bo held in the Town Hall, Lower Riccarton, on Thursday, at 8 p.m., to discuss matters in connexion with rebuilding the church. The Mayor will preside. ' ■ -i In the Cathedral yesterday morning, Onnon Wilford, referring to the fire? said it was the duty of the whole diocese to help the parish of Lower Riccarton in this their day of distress.

I At 2.15 yesterday morning the Firo ißrigade was called to 13 Travers street, Linwood. where a four-roomed cottage, occupied by Mr Thomas Bartlett and his family, was on fire. The inmates of the house were aroußed by the noise and smell of the fire which had a strong hold in the rear part of the cottage, : and Mr Bartlett had some difficulty in getting has wife and three children out unharmed. -The brigade was, however, able to extinguish the fire, but considerable damage was done to the interior of the building, and the contents. The i contents were insured' for £2OO in the r Royal Exchange: The insurance on ; the building, which is owned by Mr j Irwin Harrison, was not available yesterday.

(press association telesbak.) PALMER3TON NORTH, July 24. Palmer3ton North's twenty-first fire this year occurred lust night, iri the premises of O. M. Ross and Co., Ltd., drapers, in the Square. Tb© fire, th© origin of which is a mystery, started in the millinery workroom upstairs. The brigade made a good save, preventing the spread of the fire to the other wooden portions of the building. The millinery workroom was gutted, a large quantity of the new season's goods being destroyed. The damage in this partment is estimated at £3OO to £SCO. The contents of the workroom were not insured. Water damaged the stocks in the boat and men's mercery and clothing departments to the extent of £BOOO. The insurances-in these departments total £15.000.