ALARM OF FIRE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1891, 25 January 1875, Page 2

ALARM OF FIRE.

Great consternation was excited last evening at about half-past seven o'clock by the ringing of the various fire-bells in town. Most persons were in church at the time, and the peculiar sound of these hurried, anxious peals worked an effect upon worshippers which was "moving," in more than one respect, for there were few who had sufficient command over themselves to remain in church while unsatisfied as to what was the matter and the quarter thereof; and a lady in St. George's was so frightened that she fainted, and had to be carried into the vestr/. It appears that the cause of alarm was the Queen of Beauty battery chimney, which had caught fire, but only slightly and was immediately extinguished. Seeing the light some well-meaning but hasty individual rushed to the Graharastown Bell and started the melancholy note of warning ; this was taken u.p by the Karaka Bell, and that of. Shortland followed. The effect of this false alarm was most extraordinary. A moment before, hundreds of people were enengaged in the ceremony of church service, and (is it to be hoped) with minds turned from the world to things that are holy, when lo! on the first faint echo of the warning dong being heard, there was a simultaneous rising from seats. Theological expoundings of no matter how engrossing a nature were powerless to command attention, and the streets became suddenly thronged with persons asking of every person they met, as ignorant as themselves, "where is it." It is a great pity that some means of obviating the necessity of creating false alarms of this kind cannot be found, but so long as the present means of announcing the occurrence of fire lasts, it is much to be feared that these false alarms will occasionally erise to disturb the peace of mind of the inhabitants.