The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-15 00:00:00

THE GREAT FIRE AT RANGOON.

An eye witness of the late fire at Rangoon has
favoured us with the fallowing account :
On Monday, Dec. 10, the cry of fire was heard through
the town, and in a short time the inhabitants crowded
in numbers to witness the conflagrati.m, and the Chris-
tian portion of them to assist in endeavouring to ex-
tinguish it. A fire had previously broken out in the
neighbourhood d the gaol, destroying about 100
huts, from which the authoritien had scarcely re-
turned when the very centre of the city, the site of
the valuable and extensive native trade of Rangoon,
was discovered to be in jeopardy, In consespience of a
fire having broken out immediately in the rear of this
side, and in the direction of which the wind unfortu-
nately was blowing at the time. The fire had crossed
ft,. 100 feet_ toad dividing the Mercautile-square from
the less important locality in which the fire originated,
and was creeping on 'to the pucka godowns of the
Mogul merchants, stored with piece goods and other
valuable merchandise. In less than an hour the fire
had seized on the temporary roof of bamboo and mats
of the first pucka godown, and the inilymalternativie
was to endeavour "to save its contents ; unfortunately,
however, there was but little assistance available.
The few Europeans and the authoriti es, civil and mi-
litary, did all in their power in assisting to drag out
piece goods, &o. ; but this proved useless, as the fire
spread so rapidly that the piles of goods, representing
in value hundreds of thousands of rupees, were after-
wards destroyed where they were deposited. The
thousands of Burmese present displayed their usual
indifference, and the police seemed more bent on the
plunder than the protection of property. Several of
the peons were caught in the act of secreting valu-
ables. Such were the inefficient protective -arrange-
ments that numerous instances were observed of ruf-
fians snatching money and valuables from the hands
of those endeavouring to save them, and escaping with
impunity. . _

A. fire engine was brought from the Steam-yard, and
worked by the men of the 84th, but it was useless, from
there being little or no water.

The consequences of this calamity will be absolutely
ruinous to the trade, and especially to the native trade
of Rangoon; with few exceptions, nearly the whole of
the extensive and enterprising Mogul merchants are utter
bankrupts, unless speedy relief of some kind or other is
afforded them. Property to the amount of 30 lacs of
rupees has been destroyed. The chief sufferers, and an
approximation to the amount of loss sustained by them,
are as follows :—Aga Ahmed bin Dhansum, 2 lass ; Aga
Tuckee Shivajee, 1 lac ; Moolla Ibrahim. re. 80,000 ;
Mushadee Bassin and Shivajee, rs. 60,000 ; Musbade
Jaduk, Hadjee Mendby, Aga Abdoola Joorabjee,
Eduljeo, and others, say rs. 15,000 to 20,000.
The Europeans will of course come in for a share of
the losses, if not the principal share ; the smaller traders
as well as the merchants who were burnt out being their
debtors to a large extent.

Omitting hosts of huts of smaller trading shops or
stable-ksepers, there were destroyed 14 large puoka
godowns, 180 plank houses, and 300 bamboo houses.
Only one or two lives were reported to be lost.--Madras
A acnaum.