, 1890-05-14
BY Sea and Land.

concern, if vii much iuterest--at W eX-
ttnSIye cOn1lgratiOnS in this city. Almost
all the houses in Tokyo are built OF WOOD.
Far aud wide, from any of the many EN-
~iuences OF the capital, you may see inter
minable streets, lanes and crowded blocks,
stretching away i'll one direction towards
the Sc, in another towards the hills, al!
alike rooted with black and white TILES, an
alike-or at least ninety five out OF the
hunured-put together with posts ana
beams and ioiStS aud frames of the nnIverS.
al white pine. In consequence of this style
of architecture Tokyo, like all other towns
and cities of Japan, is extremely nttdmma-
BILE, and from time to time a conaagration
breaks out in some densely -populated cen
tire and sweeps away the little dwellings,,
by the score and the hundred, sometimes
even bv the thousand. The fear of this
hangs perpetually over all our 'chOS, or
districts. Everywhere you see rising hleh
in the air the double ladder, on the top OF
which a fireman is pprched, with his legs
over the cross. beam, and by his side suS'
pended a large bronze bell, which he strikes
with a hammer when the fatal glare of flame
and the rolling volumes of smoke announce
the temperance of the enemy. You can
tell by the number of strokes on the bell
which is the quarter attacked, If you only
know how the ch6S are numbered, for the
HanShO, or tre-gOng, strikes the h9ureS III
separate aud solemn beats. II it be a case
OF Dr0EimNs Ucateg0n-of neXtdoor neigh
b0urS, so to speak-Standing III danger,
there Will be much cOmmOtion in the dis
trict but the announcement of a distant
blaze attracts little notice. Sometimes,
however, especially ut night, the lurid re-
Election from the sky, and the dark clouds
af S,ANl-a. o0suupiDT mDOn and stars. denote
a really serious conf grafton, and then a
great many of uS-I mean Of my fellow.
citizens in T0kyo-dOck and Scurry to the
spot, anxious to see, and, if it may be, per-
hapS 10 help.
The first of the two fires broke ont in
Akasaka, a neiShbouring quarter, and
when va arrived on the spot the flames
were raging over the only portion OF the
large block Of dwellings which they had
not yet devoured. A high wind had been
blowing, and the little hdnd,engines OF the
JAPANESE could do next to nothing against
the fierce wall of fire which swept through
and over the small, fragile abodes. On the
alarm being given, the soldierS-belonglng
to the Imperial Guar d-march to the spot,
and there is IA rush on the part OF the varl-
GUS fire brigades, each Of them under dit
ferent management. These carry hagS,
with badges and various devices inscribed
upon them, as we'll as curiOuSly-Shaped
posts of painted wood, and the object is to
get to the scene OF action earliest, and to
plant the company's banner as far forward
as possible upon some h0uSe-rOot, so as 0
establish credit and rights of priority. But
of course, the small machines which they
carry cannot bulge from the well which
supplies them with water, nor can the
hand-levers, however willingly worked,
propel the fluid very far through the hose.
In consequence, the g IIIant japanese fire
men have generally to wait for the flames
to come to them, and then they squirt Wig
or0usly upon them for a while, mostly III
vain, until, to save their engine and them
selves, they must retreat, scOrched and
blackened. There is no lack OF courage
and devotion in these good fellows. Ciad
in suits of thick quilted cotton, Wi h hoods
or helmets Of the same dark blue and white
material, you see them affrOnt the flames,
like veritable saiamanders, and the great
black holes burned in their hGOrtS show
palpabIy enough that they have not spared
for exertion. A Japanese house, however,
is as inhammable as a kitchen fire laid for
lighting. The paper sh0jis, the rain shut
ters (nnadoS, and the thin partition walls,
are all as dry as finder, with the perpetual
inside warmth of the bibGcht, and once kin-
died, the little residence becomes IA bonfire
il Ave minutes. On the other hand they
ara very easily pulled down, and the efforts
of the tiremen are generally directed tow