Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-03-03
JAPAN'S FIRE BRIGADE.
The Flremen of the Mlkado's Realm at
THOR GNmnAstln Exerclses.


Their Gymnastia Exercises.
No country is so much exposed to fires
as Japan, In one. week recently five
thousand houses were burned down in
Toxic alone, and in the next week fif-
teen thousand houses were destroyed
in that city, while Sir Rutherford AL
cock 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 entirely of wood, and the
windows are formed of fine and often
beautiful lace work covered with paper.
Some buildings in Japan are matched,
while the roofs of others are formed of
little slate-lilse flakes of wood, but
these so readily take fire il 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.
1t is strange that in these days, when
so many young natives have come to
Europe to study the sciences, 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 best fire engines
of European or American make, but
these are of much less use than might
be imagined, for the supply of water il
limited, and the engine without watei
is a mere mockery. Over every housC
door is placed sign indicating tina
there is one well on the premises, Of
sometimes we see two or more of Ties
signs, indicating that two or NOR,
wells will be found in that building
and thus the firemen know the source
of their water supply, and from thes
wells alone can water be had.
The scarcity of water renders it nee
essary that all buildings surrounding
any that may have taken fire be pulle
down, so that the burning mass be isC
lated, for there is no hope of prevent
ing the spreading of the conflagratio
by the water from the engines, and
is this necessity which causes the fire
mems drill in Japan to appear S
strange and grotesque to the European
Each fireman is furnished with sort {
hook, intended for use in pulling dow
the houses, but the question arises asst
where the man is to stand while Ell
gagged in his work of destruction. A lat
der is held upright by a number OF mel
who hold it firmly by these hooks; an
it is up ladder thus held that the fir
men go to pull down the houses whic
are to be destroyed in case of fir,
The chief exercises of the men consi'
in ascending the ladder and leal
} ing out from it in horisont;
! manner, using the hook viii
] holding on by the feet, and in all sor
} of acrobatic feats which seem calc'
lated to aid them in their work. Som
] times a man ascends the ladder an
stands in an inverted position on IL
: top round At other times he grasl
, one side of the ladder with his hant
5 and throws his body out horizontal
e SO that he may have free arse of h
feet-and it must be remembered tn
the Japs can do much more with the
feet than we can with ours-r',t Il
chief exercise consists in hold ng |
the feet and using the hooks with Il
hands.
The iremen are arranged in corp
> each of which is headed by the bear
of large lantern in the form of son
curious distinctive device, from whi'
, cut papers, areligious emblem, Deepen
!. and we have seen a corps slowly ii,
y solemnly marching to fire, head,
- with this insignia, just as though
!, were taking part in funeral proce
y sion, instead of hurrying as becom
those concerned in subduing that fea
Y full element, fre.-London Graphic.