FIRST FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 8

FIRST FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH

EXTINGUISHED WITH BEER, -1 ~~ - .#f| Ex-SUPERINTENDENT SMITH, who proposed ■' the toast of " The Christ church Fire Bri- ';1 rj gaae " at the supper given by the chair- . ' »i man of the Board to the brigade tha j.Jtfother night, gave an amusing account of what he described as the first fire in ; 3e|s Christchurch. "It was in 1859," he said,-, jSy " when there was no brigade in Christ* _Mchurch. The outbreak occurred in. thd - Jtd Wesleyan Chapel in High-street, and only water procurable was from the RiveS gaga Avon, and that was a good distance away* :|||j Packer's brewery, however, was within *ygk 100 yards of the fire, and a line of buckets ; was 'laid out from the brewery, the fire j|#j being put out with beer. Needless to -|$ssay, the buckets were still kept going long |jy after the fire was put out, and the state of the firemen you may guess." t. The members of the brigade present js£ were much entertained at the little inci- ,'sj| dent related, and were inclined to wish ~,p that they also had striven with the flame* in the good old days. .. --Joi __ , .J|