Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1892-03-26
JAPAN's FIRE BRIGADE.
The Firemcn of the Mikado's Realm Go
Through Omcer Exerci,es.

The Fircmcn Of the Mikado's Realm Go
Through Queer Exercises.
No country is SO much exposed to
fires as Japan. In one week 5000
houses were burned down in Toxic
alone. and in the next week 1900
houses were destroyed in that city,
while Sir Rutherford Alcock states
that Toxic loses as many houses as
constitute the entire city every ten
years The houses. with the excep-
ton of the tiles on the roof, are con
structed entirely of wood, and the
windows are formed of fine and
often beautiful lace work. covered
with paper.
Some buildings i'll Japan are
thatched, while the roofs of Others
are formed of little slatelike flakes OF
wood; but these so readily take fire
if sparks fall upon them that the
Japanese prefer taking the risk OF
injury from falling tiles during the
earthquake to being in even greater
danger from fires than they neccssa
rily must even now be- 1t is strange
that i'll these days, when SO many
young natives have come To Europe
to study the sciences, that their ac
quired knowledge of chemistry has
not caused them to adopt some means
of rendering the wood of which then
houses are constructed. and even the
paper of the windows, incombustible
nNhnry have baVtAx.nY. .,, %1.e ln,.
towns most efficient fire brigades. and
have even the newest and best fire
engines of European or American
make. but these are of much less Use
than might be imagined, for the sup
ply of water is limited, and the en-
gine without water is mere mock
cry Over every house door is placed
sign indicating that there is one
well on the premises or sometimes
we see two or more signs. indicating
that two or more wells will be found
in that building. and thus the tiremen
know the sources of their water sup
ply. and from these wells alone can
water be had
cNttlOALN vi Nstltt II
necessary that all buildings surround
ing any that may have taken fire be
pulled down. SO that the burning
mass be isolated, for there is no hope
of preventing the spreading of the
contiagration by the water from the
engines. and it is this necessity which
causes the fireman's drill in Japan tc
appear SO strange and grotesquc tc
the European. Each fireman is fur
nished with sort of hook, intended
for use in pulling down the houses.
but the question arises as to where
the man Is to stand while engaged III
his work of destruction A ladder i
held upright by number of men.
who hold it firmly by these hooks
and it is up ladder thus held that
the tiremen go TO pull down the
houses which are to he destroyed III
case of a fire.
The chief exercises of the men con
sist i'll ascending the ladder and
leaning out from it in horizontal
manner, using the hook while hold.
ing on by the feet. and in all sorts OF
acrobatic feats which seem calculated
to aid them in their work. Some
times man ascends the ladder and
stands in an inverted position on the
top round. At other times he grasps
one side of the ladder with his hands
and throws his body out horizontally,
so that he may have free use of his
feet-and it must be remembered that
the Japs can do much more with
their feet than we can with ours
but the chief exercise consists in
holding by the feet and using the
hook with the hands
The firemen are ;Nranged i'll corps
each of which is headed by the
bearer of large lantern in the form
of some curious distinctive device.
from which cut papers. religious
emblem, depend. and we have seen
a corps slowly and solemnly march
ing to n fire, headed with this in
sigma, just us though it were taking
part in funeral procession, instead
of hurrying rs becomes those con
cerned in subduing that fearful ele-
ment, fire London Graphic