The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-31
JAPANESE FIREMEN,


1t was big hre-there was no doubt |
about it. In CUnstanJinople and New |
YORK, big events OF this sort occasion |
ally occur, and are made much Of, but TO |
see klug Fire in all nis awful power and |
glory, Japan should be visited. AL
though we had been pretty prompt in |
obcyIng the alarm bel, we found that the |
ire had already made considerable prog |
ress, and at first, unprotected as we
were by helmets or hoods, we found 1t
difficult even to look at the raging scene |
before Us. All we could make out was a
vast eXpanse oil dancing flame, inter-
sected by jets OF smoke, and the black
outlines OF burned or burning buildings.
BY degrees we became customed,
and we saw our brigade doubled up into
action, place the engine in position.
seuirt at the flames, which seemed TO
have the most undlsputed mastery
every where, and send forward the hook
aud ladder men-dare devil fellows, VINO
seemed to have the utmost contempt for
flames and falling timber, and VINO went
into the danger Us il they were going to
wedding. TO us, accustomed TO the
stern, silent, buslness-lke manner of
the London tremen, there was some
thing savoring OF burlesque in the et-
forts OF these Ieddo brigaucs to combat
! the lameS.
The general effect was that of what is
I'knUwn as d pantomime 'rally'-eyery
one bowling, shouting, running 10 and
| fro, and upsetting one another, amid II
| shower of beams, tiles and arLlCles Of
furniture, without any apparent order
| or method. There wa great deal OF
movement ana u great deal Of uproar,
and during the whole performance the
| flames seemed to wander JdSt where
tuey pleased, singeing here, blistering
there, but as rule completely quitting
what they came in contact with. Mean
while our engine had come TO utter grief.
But this, to our eyer, was OF very little
| consequence, as 1T had served simply to
dampen the jackets OF the 1remen; so it
was removed, and all the energies Of the
brigade were devoted to the OBJECT OF
preventing the spread Of the fire Ny the
Wholesale demolition OF houses.
With this object in view Lne hook and
ladder men were sent forward into the
houses which were more Immediately
threatened with destruction, While the
iug-rams-huge piles OIL wood WlLA
IRENE nd Gus iron forks at the ends-Were
run up under the cnarge OF the most stall
| wart coolies of the brigade. Tne Cap
aln, a med with a huge standard, " as
sitting straddle legged on the roof OF q
lhOuse, and by his movements those oI
the brigade were directed. Until he re-
treated not man dared to dream oI
Welding an inch, and we trembled fol-
tue safety Of our tiue old friend as we
saw him apparently alone in blaze oI
fl lme, or half hidden in the dense vol
umes of smoke, which rose from the
Burning masses on all sides OF him
And here we may remark that although
ithe discipline of the brigades. thel
methods OF procedure, and their tota
unbusIness.like air OF doing every
Thing were to be condemned il
!, toto, too high praise can not be be
E,towed on the individual pluck and abiI
lity OF the members. We i'll Europe ar
, now familiar with the extraordlnar.
leats of Japanese acrobats, but to Sc
this skill and agility put to practlcn
use one should "assisp at 1eddo hre
a When the word is given for the. hoo
. and ladder men TO go into action, 1t Is
, treat to see some score Of muscular
, active-limbed young fellows, not one G
= wuom pauses a moment to look at til
danger into which he is going headlont
dash into the houses already totterin
: to their fan, swarm on the roUts, SWIM
I from rafter to raiter, struggle UP amos
e Perpendicular slopes OF loose tiles, oite
/. with rope in their mouths, jump oye