Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-06-06
THE GREAT FIRE IN IEDDO.

Destruction Of q Largo Portion or tn,
| Clty-Fivc Thousand Edlnces I'm Ru
ins-Tvventy Thousand People Home
less.
| York Tribune.
On the afternoon of the Sd instant,
at about $3.50 o'clock, the hour when
the little foreign community of the cen.
ire of Yeddo finds itself ut leisure each
day, fire broke out in building
formerly occupied by one of the great
Daimios, but more recently used AZ
barracks for tho soldiers who guard the
inner entrances to the Mikado's castle.
At this season of the year fires are OF
altogether too frequent occurrence tu
attract particular attention, unless they
appear to threaten an unusual amount
of destruction; and, in this case, al
though a high wind was blowing,
there was little reason to apprehend
especial danger. The yusiki, in
on three sides by massive walls
and broad moats from all other
buildings, and, under ordinary circum-
stances, might have been entirely con-
sumed without peril to the neighbor
hood. Part of it, indeed, as It hap.
pens, is still standing. Solely because
it was very near my own residence, and
not without any suspicion that it would
lead to serious results, I walked over
at 81 to see in what manner it would
be dealt with by the native fremen. A
few bystanders gazed indifferently at
the apparently expiring flames, and
laborers were leisurly pulling apart the
burning joists of timbers and ecatter-.
ing them at safe intervals from each
other. Having an engagement in dis
tant part of the city, I soon withdrew,
convinced that, in the artistic sense
described by De Quincy, the whole
thing would be failure. An hour
later, on my return, / was surprised
to find the thoroughfares almost choked
with crowds of people, hurrying from
every direction towards a point con.
siderably beyond that where the flames
first appeared. 1t seemed probable
that a second fire, of more imposing
dimensions, had burst out in another
quarter, but that the little blaze
of the early afternoon had
succeeded in spreading to any extent
was almost beyond calculation. It was
not long, however, before the real state
OF affairs revealed itself. Although the
buildings first ignited were almost iso-
lated, as have mentioned, the violence
of the wind had been sufficient to carry
sparks and embers over all artificial
obstructions, and to kindle new flames
in score of places. BY half-past four
o'clock dozen of the largest yasikis Of
the old aristocratic ward were leveled,
and, although the most energetic ef-
forts were made by the populace to
confne the devastation within the inte-
rior walls of the castle, the masses of
dwellings and citizens shops beyond
were soon seized, and the entire space
between the eastern boundary of the
Notifications and the Bay of Yeddo was
doomed. In less than q couple of hours
from the time when the flames began
to spread beyond their first contracted
limit, they had flown over a distance
of about two miles, in direct line,
leaving vacant track averaging over
half a mile in breadth.
In no other place, probably, would
so swift and sweeping transformation
have been possible. The dryness of
the atmosphere, the force of the wind,
which rapidly rose to almost q hurri-
cane, and the infammable nature of
the houses, combined to make the de-
st1uction as rapid as it was vast and
ruinous. Attempting, just at nightfall,
to walk through region every foot of
which had been familiar to me, I re-
peatedly lost my way, and discovered,
in asking to be set right, that the very
inhabitants were as much astray as my
self: Excepting the heavy line of the
wall and canal, not landmark was
left. The only buildings spared were
the little fire-proof 60 downs, mar
row, one-story structures of clay-in
which the well-to-do citizens store
their valuables, and which, al
though they would not resist q
long continued heat, generally with
stand the blief ferocity of Japanese
conhagration. All others had vanished.
Government Offices, the finest mansions
of the higher class of residents, great
commercial warehouses;, and superb
old temples, with thousands of hum
bier dwellings, were totally obliterated.
Not vestige of them was discernable
an hour after the flames had touched
them. Even the ashes were whirled
away into the waters of the bay. It is
impossible to conceive of another such
scene of overwhelming and instantan-
eous desolation. Within less than
three hours, a district of two square
miles was laid waste, 5000 edifces
were destroyed, and 20, 600 people were
turned homeless into the streets.
The behavior of the populace at the
time of and after this almost unpar-
alleled calamity was again such as to
Justify all that has ever been said of
their perfect order, patient fortitude
and vigorous energy. Long after all
reasonable hope Of checking the course
of the fire had been abandoned, they
labored valiantly and heroically to keep
it within the closest possible range, and
displayed q persistent courage and in
sensibility to peril which I have never
known equaled in any similar emer-
gency. From an elevated part of one
of the walls could see groups of fire.
men standing upon aud in the midst
of burning houses, grasping their
standards until the wood work literally
blazed in their hands. These singular
emblems are generally looked upon as
a species of "fre-god." in which
a superstitious faith is re.
posed, and the apparent reliance of the
multitude upon them is duly dcrided
by superior critics of Caucasian hue
The fact is, that they have precisely the
same purpose as the banners of the
army, and are planted by their bearers
in spots OF peculiar danger, from which
it is point of honor not to retreat
while nature as the power to endure
Scores of these noble fellows were
successfully prostrated, and were borne
away insensible from wounds or suffo
cation, while others eagerly pressed
forward to take their places. Their,
was no interruption, rs there was nc
limit, to their hardihood. At no mo
ment was the least sign of hesitation
apparent. For the mere chance of res
cl1ing single house, a dozen mel
would fearlessly risk their lives. Every
. disposition to second their endavor
was shown by the multitude. How
} such perfect order could hav'
prevailed in SO dense and SO intensel,
excited mass it is very difficult t
understand. No sign OF turbulence
was anywhere visible. All whose pos
sessions were not in immediate DANCE
. seemed ready aud anxious to assis
7 their less fortunate neighbors, and
even among strangers, the most perfec
r confidence seemed to prevail. I hav
Y been since informed by the authoritie
of Yeddo that not single case of los
by theft during the fire was brought t.