Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-02-16

III. ri'smsn OF the 'f'saao'. nea'm

| The pirsmsn OF the sfitaio's neaim 90
Through pnesr ESeroises.
No country u ~ much exposed 10
fircs "a Japan. In one week 5000
houses wore burned down in Toxic
alone, and in the next week i5,O0U
houses were destroyed IN that city,
while Sir Rutherford Alcock states
that Toxic loses M many houses o.
constitute the entire city every ten
ycans. Tho houses. with tho cxccp.
ton OF the tiles on tho roof, are con.
structcd entirely Of wood. and the
windows are formed Of 6no and
often beautiful lnoo work, covered
with paper.
Some buildings In japan are
matched, while the roofs OF othcrs
are formed Of httlo slatclilyc flakes Of
wood; but these 80 readily take fire
II sparks fall upon Thorn that the
japanese prefer taking the risk of
injury from falling tiles during the
earthquake 20 being in cvon greater
danger from fires than they necpssa.
rily must even now be- IL is strange
that IN these days. when 30 many
young natives hayo come 10 Europe
20 study the aclcncqa that their &c
quired knowledge OF chemistry has
not caused Thorn 10 ndopt somcmoani
Of rendering the wood Of which their
houses nro constructed, and even the
paper Of the windows. incombustiblo.
They have, however. in tho large
towns most efficient fire brimdos. aud
have oven the newest aud best fire
engines Of European OF American
make, but these are Of much less use
than might b. imagined for the sup.
ply Of water Is limited. aud tho en-
gino without water is n mere mock
cry over every house door Is placed
sign indicating that. there is one
well on the promises, pr sometimes
we so, two or moro si1ps, indicating
that two or more wells will be- found
in That building aud thus tho frcmcn
know tho sources OF their water sup
ply. and from these wells alone can
water DO had.
Tho scarcity Of water renders Il
necessary that all buildings surround
ing any that may havo taken FIRE be-
pulled down, 20 that the burning
mass bo Isolated, for there is no hope
Of preventing the spreading Of the
connngration by tho water from the
engines, and II rs this necessity which
causes tho trcman's drill IN Japan To-
appear 80 strange and prutcsque Ia
the European. Each fireman Is fur
nished with "a sort Of hook. intended
for use in pulling down the houses,
but the question arlscs as TO whore
tho man IL 20 stand while engaged ~
his work Of destruction. A ladder /,
held upright by a number Of men,
who hold II firmly by those hool,s
and It ia up ladder thus held that
tho hrcmcn go 10 pull down tho
houses which are to be destroyed IN
case Of a fire.
The chief exercises Of the mon con
sist in ascending tho ladder and
leaning out from It In u horizontal
manner, using tho hook while hold
ing on 10y the feet, and in all sorts o
acrobatic fcatS which seem calculatet
10 aid them In their work. Some
times a man asccnds the ladder and
stands la an inverted position on Ia,
top round. At other times he grasp.
one side Of the ladder with his hand
and throws his body ont horizontally
50 that hc may have free use OF hii
foet-and itmust be remembered thuI
tho Japs can do much more witt
their feet than we en- with ours
but tho chief exercise consists IL
holding BY the feet and using the
hook with the hands.
Tho iircmen are ARRANGED In corps
each OF which Is headed by In,
bearer Of large lantern in the form
Of some curious distinctive device
from which cut papers, religion,
emblem, depend, aud we have seer
u corps slowly and solcmnly march
ing to a fire, headed with this IN
sigma, just as though ii Were taking
part In funeral procession, instead
Of huTying ns becomes those con
cerned in subduing that fearful ele
mont, fire. London Graphic.
1