The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-03-05

at a fire Is indeed almost indescriba-
BILE. Fancy narrow alley at most
but ten feet wide-the average width
of Cantonese streets is eight feet
crowded with an excited mob of ma
tIves, the firemen shouting as thev
pump or haul the engine. the house
holders yelling to the tiremen. the
police straining their lungs to the
utmost as they vociferate threats TO
the surrounding loafers, and the lat
ter retorting III equally voluble
language, for the sake of adding TO
the confusion under cover of which
they hope to pick up few portable
valuables without detection. In the
back ground is the fire, fed with the
most lntlamable of substance. finely
cut pine, of which Chinese houses
contain an Immense amount in their
fittings, and well in front is the man
DARN whose duty it is to superintend
operations, surrounded by his staff.
who shouts and yell and howl in
competition with the rest. in order
to make their masters orders heard.
The widest mob of " civilized "
roughs that ever congregated is or
DERBY IN comparison with the surg
ing mass of humanity before us.
The alarm of fire in any particular
quarter Is effectively given by de-
vice not unfamiliar TO New Workers
sounding 1t from an elevated por-
tion in the district where it occurs.
The traveller who visits Canton for
the first time, and has primed him
self beforehand on the subject of
Chinese architecture is generally
surprised to see numerous tall struc-
lures projecting from the surround
ing roofs, and very much Mt yari-
ance with all he has been told of the
absence of towers or steeples. They
are certainly not pagodas, but emu
late them in hight. These are the
look outs" for fire watchmen. and
constructed of thin bamboo poles
and mating, though seemingly of
the slenderest and skakiest build.
they are secure enough. and the
little room ut the top is every even
ing occupied 10y the native whose
duty 1t Is TO give the first intelli-
gence of n conhagration. The mo-
ment he perceives symptoms of fire
IN any part of his district. he strikes
his gong, which attracts the atten-
tlOn of the watchman in the street
below, who OF once call the firemen.
Ihe latter jump into their uniforms
and hurry to the engine-house,
whence the engine Is Immediately
dragged to the scene of action. The
imperfect supply of water. but par
TALLY supplied by the large tubs Kept
standing IN front of the yamuns
or official residences and the shops
Of the wealthier merchants. contrib
utes, more even than the rude con-
struction Of the engines. to render
the tireman's efforts but too fire.
quently unavailing till much life and
property have been lost. 1t must,
however, be conceded that the brig
AIDES work manfully, and some
times the chief of the district police
clears the street of idlers and loafers
IN most effectual manner. In all
cases, however, the engine men are
afforded plenty of room to work. and
the handling of water from the river
and neighboring wells to replenish
the ''fire-tubs" is, as q rule, well
provided for. The fact that each
member of the brigade has his own
work to do, and does it with sub
lime indifference to the acts Of any
ono else, is the chief element of the
success, whatever it may be, that
attends their combined efforts.