The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-15
TEE TOXIC FIRE.
Something About the Fra Brigade of
the Japanese Capital.

Something About the Fra Brigade of
the Japanese Capital.
In connection with the monster conflagra.
ton in Toxic, Japan, Sunday, report of
which was published in the MORNING NEWS,
the following from the New York Herald
Is of interest:
No country is SO much exposed TO fires as
Japan. Not many years ago 5000 houses
were burned down in Toxic in one week,
and in the next week IL, 900 houses were de.
stroyed 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 exception
Of the tiles on the roof, are constructed en-
tirely of wood and the windows are formed
OF fine and often beautiful lattice work,
covered with paper.
Some buildings in Japan are matched,
while the roofs of others are formed of lit
tie slate like 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 earth
quake to being IN even greater danger from
fires than they necessarily must always even
now be. Iu is strange that in these days,
when so many young natives have come to
| europe to study the sciences, that their &C
CURED knowledge of chemistry has not
ing the wood of which their houses are con-
structed, and even the paper of the win
dows, lncOmbustible
They have, however, in the large 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
supply Of water is limited, aud the engine
without water is a mere mockery. Over
every house door is placed q sign indicating
that there Is one well on the premises, or
sometimes one sees two or more of these
signs, indtca ing that two or more wells
will be found in that building, and thus the
fremen know the sources of their water sup
ply, and from these wells alone can water
be had.
PULLING DOWN BUILDINGS.
The scarcity of water renders it necessary
that all buildings surrounding any that may
have taken fire be pulled down, so that the
burning mass be isolated, for there ID no
hope of preventing the spreading of the
conhagration by the water from the en-
gines; and it ia this necessity which causes
the fireman's drill in Japan to appear so
strange and grotesque to the European.
Each fireman is furnished with sort of
/ hook, Intended for use in the pulling down
the houses, but the question arises as to
where the 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 fixed by these hooks; and it is up a
ladder thus held that the flremen go to pull
down the houses which are to lie destroyed
in case of fire.
The chief exercises of the men consist in
ascending the ladder, and leaning out from
it in horizontal manner, using the hook
while holding on by the feet, and in all
sorts of acrobatlc reats which seem calcu-
lated to aid them in. their work. Some
times a man ascends the ladder and stands
in an inverted position on tho 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-aud 1t must be remembered
that the Japs can d. much more with their
feet than we can with ours-but the chief
exercises consists in holding by the feet
and using the hook with the hands.
The firemen are arranged in corps, each
Of which is headed by the bearer Of a large
lantern in the form Of some curious distinct
i've device from which cut papers Ia religious
embleml depend, and one may see a corps
slowly and solemnlv marching to fire
headed with the insignia. just as though 1t
were taking part in a funeral procession in
stead of hurrying as becomes those con-
cerned in subduing that fearful element,
fire.
SECOND LARGEST CITY IN THE WORLD.
ms CITY OIL lOhlO COVERS AL area Oh 0OOuG
twenty eight square miles, aud IN point of
extent is. after London, the largest city in
the world. The population is placed be
tween 100000 and 100000.
The GInZa, or main business street of
Toxic, starting from the bridge opposite the
station, goes straight to Nihombashi, the
northern end OF the Tokaido, aud the recog-
nized center of the city, from which all
distances are measured. Most Of the road
waV IA lined with conventional honSes OF
foreign pattern, with their curbstones and
shade trees, while the trolling tramcar and
the rafting hasha, or light omnibus,
emphasize the incoDgTuities of the scene.
FIREP ROOF STORE HOUSES.
The whole business portion OF the city is
studded with clay flre-proof store houses,
into which all the chief valuables are hastily
thrust Immediately upon the breaking out
of a fire in the neighborhood. The massive
iron doors and shutters Of these dre-proof
"dova" are, as soon as the interior is filed,
cemented air tight. Lighted candles having
been placed Inside before the closing of the
last door in order to exhaust the intiamma-
BILE oxygen Of the inclosed air, the structure
may be left to be ragged around by the fire
and may even be raised to red heat with
out danger Of combustion inside
A large fore gn colony Is resident in
Toxic, the diplomatic corps. the great NUNS
bers of missionaries and those employed by
the government in the university, schools
and departments constituting large COM
munity. All the legations are now on the
high ground in the western part of the city,
near the castle meats. The United States
alone uses rented property. although the
Japanese government has offered the land
as gift if the United States will erect q
permanent ediice.