ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 19 
12, 1878, 2.40 am., Dixon-street, fuel merchant, large fire ; 
no rain for days. August 6, 1878, 1.55 a.m, Hotel, 
large house ; no: rain for days. November 27 1878, 12.18 
a.m, hay and corn dealer’s and other buildings, 681, George- 
street, large fire; change of wind day before fire, to E.S.E., 
0-006 in, of rain fell om the 27th. January 3, 1879, 
12.34 a.m., Burwood Congregational Church; no raim for 
days. July 16, 1879, 10.33 p.m., store; 687, George-street, 
and other premises; no rain for days. October 28, 1879, 
1.20 p.m., two 3-story produce stores, very large fire, no rain 
for days. January 11, 1880, 7.13 p.m., music store and other 
premises, 610, George-street ; no rain for days. May 6, 1880, 
1.37 a.m., Fresh Food and Ice Company, large fire ; no rain for 
days. May 26, 1880, 10.35 p.m., hay shed, cottage, stable, &c., 
Foss-street, Glebe ; raining all 26th till evening, and again during 
the night’; rain only 0-11 in. May 28, 1880, 6.7 am., Shale, 
and Oil Company, 150 barrels of oil burnt; raining on 27th, 
cleared up on 28th. July 22, 1880, 11.40 p.m., Victoria Theatre, 
large fire; no rain for ten days. July 25, 1880, 12.25 am., 
Read’s carpet warehouse and other premises; no rain for days. 
We have here forty-two fires, extending over a period of twenty- 
one years, and there is not one instance in which rain has followed 
within the forty-eight hours as an evident consequence of the fire.. 
Now several of these fires began when it was raining, and seemed 
_ & produce no increase in the fall—indeed, in many cases it looks 
as if the fire had stopped the rain ; and if these instances had been 
taken out to prove that large fires drove away the eh the 
evidence would seem almost conclusive. It may perhaps be said 
that none of these fires were large enough to make it rain ; but if 
_ fires ever have such an effect, some of our fires, occurring as they 
s did under most favourable conditions, should have done it; for 
E instance, when the Prince of Wales Theatre and houses in King- 
| Saas burnt. = oe of the hay dagh tees the fire 
wi sa the pit of suai, an and for 
