The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-04-24
Tremendous. Fire en- aJChinese River
Unparalleled CalasAity.N

The suiss ;onlry reports from China, "a
ouotrti ~ me kotnischc Zeihmg. describe
the terrible rayaggs of "A fire which took
place on ine first at january, 1918, al Hou-
gunn.. during the prevalence of aa inunda
,iru. The New York Tribune transi lies
some portions Of The account. The fire,
which broke out anlons the shipping, was
al Hnparnilel horror. In order To form IN
idea ct a., We mast imagine this scene OF lis
deyasta'inils. Along the shore OF The XII
aug for he distance OF several miles, so
l,sauy vessels are usually lying nj anchor
I,sat When seen from the Oppos.!e bank,
,tsD ccsen,lilc Thick fores,--but regarded
fram near poiu, they look like an illln,ita-
dc, pOisiou. ely, floating upon The wafer.
A. st,ii greater distance, though not so
croN,ied tngether, many other ve.srls lie at
,ise sanie anchoring ground. The whole
forms 4 long harl'or, extending many miles,
ls'ioI wish an immense number OF ships,
and presenting n spectacle Of which no one
who has nni seen it can farm conception.
Ca tho nght ia question furious gale
struck this i1ultitu,iimous fleet, and IN the
confusion that eB,ued one OF the vessels
WINS found % be o;I fire. Increased M once
hv the u.nd, and fed 10y the tar aud other
s,onlbustiiie materials with which great
suaiber 10 the ressels were loaded, the
tire -i,fead like lightning to the neighbor-
ing vessels. The violence of the storm,
s,.ii e 90, fire parted the cables which hal
rhus ftr ruutiu"d the burning ships Scat
sered rs me- raging hurricane ia every ,.i-
rcctiJr brse everywhere spread devasta-
Tiou. ,urIns into fame whatever they
loach,.i, ani kndiing The devourns FIRE
an = m1rqent in the niher vessels la the
ruidst CT tnis terrible sea of fire were heard
5he ,hrl->, aud groans of an immense uu,n-
ter at mrn, who, given over To des;,ait-
tossed hs he stnrai--puroued lay the flames
AMI cncuTnpas-cd lay the raging waves
Werc AZ ia.i iurted 10 Il crI>i 10y the fire,
or So allowed up ~ the wiid abyss of the
stream The ki-arg, tor Il great distance,
rc>euihled a sea at fire, and ~ the space of
three hpuT>, all those vessels wiIh the nm
itaruv ,Eca or board, rii>erahiy persisted -
f. : agreed on ri hands, thru the number of
vessels according to moderate estimate,
3u~unted 10 mere than three thou,ani -
The Ch,Grsc hoai>, a. IL we'll known, even
tbs smallest are inhabited Icy the family "i
Jbe captain, together with The crew. III
deed, Iher. are whole households, whose
Iur.iI,Crs are horn on board, where they
s,se and die without knowing To what ccun-
KY ADct hcIpH- Nv Cbtue INTO Tue NOfiu
wherever The floating aiunle Of their ,,areut>
happen to he found. Among the vessels
burned were sevrra! large ships. Many OF
iheu contained fran, forty 10 fifty aud sixty
persons. The bodies, uiut,late'l and disfig-
urcd hy The FIRE, which were drawn out of
.the stream, amounted To sky thouSai,d.-
These vrs>-is we're loaded with freight, and
hclonsei 10 Chinese from different pruvin-
ces. Ths may show the great loss and
general hsreavenent caused hy The fire.
SUCH terrible cnniiagratinn was never
known, We will not say in China, hut in the
whole Wacli. As a native from Han-yan-
Zee was sIrvcyiug the scene of deso.ation.
ile NaS 80 impressed with the number OF
abe Victims, that he ordered, AT his own cost,
ten thousand coflins, for the interrnent of
the hoi,c>, which could he afforded for five
a. francs. This sum Is paid i.y The poor
f,r their collins; usually they cost them from,
thirty IL thrIy frsncs. and the rich pay sew
"ral thousands, fur the poor i,i"iaters ifnng
ine tha, n. more Is done for the body, the
Better !, i'll he for the soul.