The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-19
LPs ARSENAL BURNED.
The Greatest Disaster so Far Suf-
fered by China.


YOKOHAMA, Aug. II. = The Hankow
correspondent of the China Gazette, writ
ing on the 18Th inst, says: Yesterday
morning at daybreak the Viceroy's fine
new arsenal with all its valuable and
beautiful machnery-by Lndw. LOewe 81
Co., Berlin, currently reported TO have cost
100000 taels-was destroyed by fire. The
building in question forms part of the
Hanyang Iron Works, and is handsome
two-story block, about 800 feet square,
soidly and elegantly built of red aud blue
brick. The walls are of great thickness,
floors OF concrete, the roof corrugated iron,
and as its contents was entirely machinery
one would have as soop expected the
smelling furnaces to ges burned up as that
particular building. 1t was finished only
short time ago; the plant had Just been
moved into 1t and placed in position, and
the finishing touches of pain; were being
given when the fire took place. 1t broke
out in the roof. which was celled with
wood. placed close under the iron. and
newly painted.
The flames, famed by a strong east
wind, spread with great rapidty. They
ran along the wooden ceiling as IL they
had been tinder, and soon caught the cross
beams and posts for carrying the driving
gear. In about an hour these gave way.
the roof fell in. and all that was combus-
tible In the building was consumed. 1t is
impossible TO state the amount of damage
done. The walls. of course, still stand,
and to look at the building from the out
side one would not notice anything amiss.
But inside, the neutrality-suspicious. some
ff / ~ fa wi hx,t hao
red with rust and covered with rubbish
seems only fit for the scrap heap. 1t may
prove on further examinatio that the
greater part of it is not damaged beyond
repair. but no one would be willing to give
much for it as it looks at present.
Evidently Kwangti. the god of war, does
not favor foreign fashions of fighting, or
perhaps 1t is that he has special spite at
our Vceroy, seeing he is such particular
favorite of the god of literature, Wen
chang. At all events. bis powder-mill
blew up not long ago, and now his arsenal
has been burned down. No wonder.
though. the natives shake their heads over
these things. As to the cause of the fire
nothing is known. There is some talk of
incendiarism. but seeing that the previous
day was one of the hottest we have had
this exceptionally hot season-1O0 in the
shade-and that the wooden ceiling was
close against the iron roof and newly
painted with oil paint. perhaps sponta-
neous combustion had something to do
with 1t.
One Of the blast furnaces was started
for the Viceroy's inspection on the Sd
inst. and has been running ever since,
turning out thirty tons day of splendid
iron. 1t is In Intended to run it for another
fortnight and then give it a rest The fuel
used is imported coke. and 1t will prob
ably get finished about the same time.
The foreigners in charge Of these furnaces
are not to be envied their Job. The heat
at this season of the year Is something ter
rife, and one of them, Mr.. Peters. has
already fallen victim to il. as we'll as eey-
eral natives. In addition to roasting them
all day the management has also arranged
that they shall be baked all night bv run-
ming up a few alleyways of two-roomed
houses for them to live in so cheapiy built
that the walls let through all the heat.
Further. they are raised only a couple of
feet above the level of the Han River
crowded together in corner where not a
breath of air can reach them. We shall
probably have a good few funerals this
summer.