FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Western Star, Issue 281, 25 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

A fire broke'out ait about 1 o’clock yesterday morning iii the premises occupied as a fancy goods shop by a Chinaman named Ah Ting, on the east sice of Colombo street between Cashel and Lichfield streets. The first to notice the outbreak was Constable Little,' whose attention was. attracted by a noise,, which proved to be caused by the explosion of a quantity of Chinese crackers in Ah Ting’s shop. By this time the fire was spreading with great rapidity,' and Mr and Mrs Schourup, who lived next door t® Ah Ting’s, and under the same_ roof, were barely able to escape in their night dresses. Thanks to the exertions of the Brigade, the fire, which was situated in a closely-built block, was confined to the premises in which it began, and was got under iu the course of less than half an hour, ,As usual, however, a great deal of damage was sustained by the neighbors through the recklessness or want of judgment of those who volunteered assistance in removing goods. The total loss cannot be exactly estimated. Ah Ting has lost the whole of his stock, etc., which was insured, hut for what amount was not ascertained. It is supposed to have been worth between L2OO and L3OO. Mr Schourup has lost everything, probably ( between LSOO and L9OO worth, Mr James Wilson, baker, and Mr William Thompson, grocer, on the one side, and Mrs Atack, grocer, on the other, have suffered considerable loss, and, unfortunately for the ; firstnamed, uninsured. The insurances, so far as ascertained, are as follow:—Mr Schourup, L4OO on his furniture (there was also L6OO on the building); Mr Thompson, L'2oo in the New Zealand and L2OO in the National Insurance offices, on his furniture and stock $ Mrs Atack, Lloo*on her furniture and stock and LIOO on the building, in the Liverpool, London, and Globe office. Two casualties are reported to have happened. One was to a drunken man, who fell through Mr Wilson’s verandah. Besides sustaining a shock from the fall, he was considerably cut about the face. The other was a similar accident to a young man, who fell through the veran dah, and cut one of his hands badly.— ‘ Lyttelton Times ’ Monday, Jan. 14.