The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-22
Tokio's Great Fire.

The Japan Gazette gives tie following
account of the destructive fire which &C.
Cured on the 29th of December, and by
which over 260 persons lost their lives.
The fire broke out at II o'clock in the
central part of the city. close to Nihon-
bashi. 1t was blowing gale at the
time, and within thirty minutes of the
outbreak the city was on fire in seven
different places; burning shingles were
flying about as thick as hail, and were
carried long distances by the wind, set
thing on other houses and setting fire to
them. The scene is said to have been
terrible. Strong men were running
about in state of bewilderment, with
old men, old women and children on
their backs; mothers dragging their little
ones, bent only on saving their lives.
All day the fire ragged with the utmost
fury The whole of the buildings on
the Island Of 1skikawa, at the mouth OF
the Sumida river, including the dock
yard and prison, were burned. So ra-
pidly did the flames travel that it was
with difficulty the streets were cleared of
people before the houses were ignited;
and in SO many places was the fire rag
ing that they knew not which way to
turn. Anxious to save futons and
wearing apparel, the poor creatures sal
lied forth from their no mes with bundles
on their shoulders to fly they knew not
whittier. The streets became blockaded
with the surging masses; women and
children were trampled under foot; many
who fell in the crowd never rose again;
the little children were seen looking for
their parents, parents looking for their
children, while the air was rent with
cries of rage, anguish and despair. Still
they chung tsnaciously to the few world
ly possessions they had succeeded in
bringing from their burning homes,
thereby almost completely blocking up
the narrow streets through which the
masses were slowly threading their way.
At length the police interfered and
caused numbers tc throw their bundles
into the rivers, or anywhere else out of
the way, so as to facilitate the escape Of
the people from the frightful death
which threatened them, and were gain
ing on them fast. The native papers
say that the 6S streets, containing H.
664 houses, were burned, rendering over
10000 persons homeless. A relief fund
was started, toward which their males.
ties, the Emperor and Empress, sub
scribed 1000 yen each. Long before
the fire reached the foreign settlement of
Tsukiji, the residents felt anxious and
began to pack up. But this appears to
have been an almost needless task for
when the fire did reach them there was
no one to be found to convey their chat
tells and goods away. Everything had
been got ready for fight, but had to be
left in the house as no coolies were to be
found willing to undertake the task of
removing even the boxes of clothing.
The American legation was in imminent
danger for some time, and Mr.. Clau-
taud's hotel ignited several times but
each time the flames were successfully
suppressed The residence of Bishop
Williams of the American Episcopal
Mission was burned. 1t was the prop
erty of the Bishop, and was uninsured
personal effects saved. The Methodist
Episcopal Church, partly insured, was