Alarms of Fire.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4560, 5 December 1882, Page 3

Alarms of Fire.

_- p About half- past eight la*t evening a vigorous ringing of the fire-bells botokened that an alarm had boon roceived at the stations Very Boon the firwengines might ba seen tearing through the streets in oppo6ito directions, ehowing that gomo confueion oxialed as to the locality whence the nlarm had come. It subsequently transpired that at Lichfield station the recording instrument registered an alarm us from box No 18, Colombo street north, near Salisbury stroet, while at tho Oliogter Btreot station »nd the Polioe Station No. 16, Southern Hotel, Lower High streot, waa indicated. Tho engines and brigade were quickly at both of th« plueoa montioned, only to find that the glass of neither box had been broken. The mystery remained unexplained till Mr Moddings examined the recording inslrumentß and notiood thi't !ho r.eedle or index which, when the app^rntuaia in working order, vibratos backvarde ;'.nd forwards as an alarm is being given, had imumed a yortical positiop, showing thai the lino had been broken in Bomu place. It w»s rumoured that a house had been in the course of romoval along the glreetß, and it was suggested that this !>%d come in conLaot with the telegraph wires and broken one of those connected with tho Ore alarm eyslom. Subsequently a constable noticed that tho glass of box No 17, corner of Gloucester and Madras ttreots hud been broken and tho handle pulled out. A* before slated, Mr Mcddings was B&tisfiud that the coritn"!tion had been broken at nom** point, but, it is poasiblo t!iat the wires in connection with box No 17 might have been (ii*ti»brd by the mischief maker who perpetrated tho hoax. — Just after midnight, another alarm was sounded, this time from tho iloeoital. The chemical engine and one of the ■iruinorn went out, only to find that th« fi^'iml w--h again a hoax. This fort of tiling v rathi.r dispiritin/r, but it is only wlmt wi« may expect until tho mischievous "vagabonds about llio town have got tired ot tlieir miw jilajrf.lr,"^. The Dunedin Brigade were treatcil to v <n> <i aibny idle excursions nfu.T their appn-uiu? had been fixed up, but the detection of o;iu or two offenders brought tho larrikins to (hoiBoneof, and we havo do doubt it will be t!u.samo here.