LOOKING FOR A FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18710, 16 May 1924, Page 10

LOOKING FOR A FIRE.

COMEDY IN WHANGAREI.

PROCESSION THROUGH TOWN

[BY XELEGEAPH.-OWN CORRESPONDS WHANGAREI. Thursday.

The second occasion up£n which (a bacon-curing shed in Vine Street has led to a false alarm of fire occurred last night, with rather humorous results. In Whangarei there are three wards, and a fire within any one of them is indicated by z defined number of -rings. At 11 o'clock people were therefore surprised to be aroused by a continuous clanging, lasting about a quarter of an-hour more than usual. Consequently they sallied out to see what happened. Actually the cause was due to the fusing of a wire, essential in stopping the electrically-oper-ated bell. Laymen, however, thought it; was attributable to a fixe of unusual importance. The fire brigade turned out promptly, but as there was no means of knowing who had raised the alarm the ludicrous sighfl of a rapidly-moving procession, headed by the fire brigade's motor-reel and embodying over 50 cars and many cyclists, was the outcome. _ They tore round the town in various directions for about 20 minutes before word was received from the police that a man had telephoned that he had ascertained that he had caused the alarm in error.