FIRE EXTINGUISHING AND BOMBARDMENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 850, 15 June 1888, Page 20

FIRE EXTINGUISHING AND BOMBARDMENT.

TO THE "K DITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MATE. Sir, —In your issue of the 6th of September, 1887, appeared a letter from the present writer calling attention to the question of fire extinguishing and bombardment. Relative to the matter as stated above, I hope some member or members of the sitting Parliament will think the following remarks worthy of notice, and at once take the matter in hand as a question of emergency. The particular question which demands immo ; diate consideration is the exemption of firemen from service in the Militia, should that force be called into requisition. As most of the members of fire brigades are of that age and standing which would require them to . serve in the Militia if called upon, it would greatly interfere with the fire protection, during bombardment, if the firemen were drawn to serve in the Militia. Their places as firemen could not bo Slled so readily as that of a man requiring to handle a rifle. At the present time rumors of the possible outbreak of war are becoming frequent, and there is not the slightest doubt that a descent upon these colonies is meditated and preparations already made fo.~ immediate o|.erations ; these rumors and predictions should not be neglected, but steps token at once to ensure'against the total destruction of our New Zealand cities from fire, and cup step in that direction is to ensure the insolubility of our Fire Brigades. All of our warlike preparations have been made as against .qnp’jiy’s cruisers as ships, but there ip ,qna weapon of destruction which hap ppt been taken into consideration, ,qr jpjiroyjded against ; Hoot weapon is the rqcket, yi'hysh can be wqrkad from ships’ boats. This paiesilp is the most destructive of all the engines ,qf war, specially Invented for aiding .conflagrations. ft dQG3 nqt possess penetrating power largely, Rut ;has a strong; rebounding .quality, carrying with ; it a trail of fire .until exhausted, finr ow.n naval authorities have very largely proved its capabilities in their various encoun.ters. As to the probability of boats with rocket apparatus attached being escorted into this harbor by an enemy’s torpedo boat, whilst the ship herself lies beyond danger, I will leave tho imagination of your readers to supply. But of the possibility I am certain, baaed upon instructions lat one time received at a gunnery school of H.M. Naval authorities. My desire is to show that if danger is menaced from these engines of war, steps should at once be taken to ensure that tho fire-extinguishing appliances are in order, and the men retained to work them. —I am, &c., A Fire-Extinguisher.

The steamer Kennedy, which has been beached at Hokitika for tho past week, was got off on Tuesday night. From the YVest Coast she goe3 to Nelson, where she will be kept for a fortnight undergoing repairs. Two prisoners named Michael Dowling and Cornelius Conners were brought down from Masterton by Constable Cooper by the midday train on YVednesday. The former has been sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment for wilful damage to property, and the latter to a fortnight’s imprisonment for using obscene language.

Use of tlie latest forms of advertisement in the London streets is a hansom with a flag attached to it. Inside is the figure of a corpse dressed in evening olothes.. The Bhow—and a very ghastly one it is—is intended to advertise a book and a play. The net profit of the Bank of England for the half-year ended 29th February last was £718,3815s 7d, making the amount of the rest £3,741,524 ISs Sd. After providing a dividend of 5 per cent the rest would remain at £3,013,874 ISs Sd.