Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1892-04-27
JApAN's FIRE BRIGADE.
The Flromen ef the Btiksao.s Realm Go
 Thrnnrh nnrnr Exerefses-


 No country is so much exposed to fires as Japan. In one week 5,OO0 houses were burned down in Tozio alone, and in the next week l5.0O0 houses were destroyed in thu. caty, while Sir Rutherford Alcock sAes that Tokio 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 arc formed of fine and often beautiful lace work. covered with paper
 Some buildings in Japan are thatched. while the roofs of others are formed of little siatellle flakes of wood; but these 30 readily take fire if sparks fall upon them that the Japanese prefer taking the risk of injury from falling tiles during the earthquake to Icing in even greater danger from fires than they necessa- rily must even now be It is strange that in 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 their houses are constructed, and even the paper of the windows, incombustible.
 They have. however, in the large towns most efficient fire brigades, and have even the newest and rest fro engines of European or American make, but these arc of much less use than might be imagined. for the sup ply of water is limited. and the en- zine without water is a mere mock cry. Over every house door is placed a sign indicating that there is one well on the premises, or sometimes we sec two or more signs, indicating that two or more wells will be found in that building. and thus the firemen Know the sources of their water sup ply. and from these wells alone can water bc had.
 The scarcity of water renders it 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 Che spreading of the confiagration by the water from the engines, and tits this necessity which causes the fireInans s drill in Japan to appear So strange and grotesque to @he European. Each fireman is fur nislsed with a sort of hook, intended for use in pulling, down the houses, but the question arises as to where tue man is to stand while engaged in his work of destruction. A ladder is held upright by a number of men, who hold it firmly by these hooks; and 1t Is up ladder thus held that the firemen go to pull down the houses which are to be destroyed in case Of 2 fire.
 The chief exercises of the men con sist in 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 q man ascends the ladder and stands in au 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 fremen are arranged in 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 q corps slowly and solennly march ing to a fire, headed with this in- signia, just as though it were taking part in a funeral procession, instead l of hurrying as becomes those con cerned in subduing that fearful ele- ment, ire.-London Graphic.