ALARM OF FIRE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9660, 15 June 1882, Page 2

ALARM OF FIRE.

♦ About 0.30 o'clock last evening the bridge fire-bell raug out the alarm of fire, which was speedily taken up by the Rutland Hill and Keith-street bolls, and soon tho streets were thronged by hurrying crowds eager to be among the first on the scene. It was speedily known from the Kutland Hill bell that the fire was in No 1 Ward, but some minutes elapsed before the exact locality became known, when a voice shouted, " Lamb and Plumley's sheds." Thither the crowd rushed, amongst whom were many members of the fire brigade, with No 1 reel, quickly followed by reel No 2. It was found that the fire was on the upper floor, and had not had time to burst through, and the water being speedily brought into play, the flames were soon extinguished. The fire had evidently broken out among the refuse from the ehaffcutter which littered the floor, and some light is perhaps thrown upon the probable .origin of the fire by the discovery of a clay pipe made by the firo brigade in turning over the chaff, &o. Save for tho chaff and other litter, the building was entirely empty, having been unoccupied sinco the dissolution of tho partnership of Messrs Lamb and Plumley ; and there is Jittle doubt that some one of tho many bumps that infest

"Wanganui had been making the shed his quarters, and, with the recklessness characteristic of the fraternity, had deposited his lighted pipe among the ohaff. Forutnately, the fire brigade had been holding their monthly meeting, and the members had not dispersed to their homes, so that' they were on the scene too soon to permit of what might otherwise have been a disastrous outbreak. Great credit is, dve 1 * both to Captain Cummins and the ' ' brigade and to Superintendent Drew, and the fire police and salvage corps, who mustered withcommendablepromptitude. There were 28 members of the^ „ fire brigade present. " " ~°' : "