The San Francisco call., 1909-08-02
THOUSANDS LOSE
HOMES IN OSAKA
Hundreds Crowd Hospitals After
Disastrous Fire in
Japanese City
Twenty Thousand Buildings Are
Destroyed at a Loss of
Several Million Yen

OSAKA, Japan. Aug. 1.--Confusion
still prevails here as a result of Sat
urday's disastrous fire. Thousands of
persons are homeless and facing hun
ger.
system of relief has been organized
by the municipal authorities, but it is
inadequate to supply all needs. Out
side cities and towns are generously
sending in contributions to be used in
alleviating sufferings of the homeless
and destitute.
The number of casualties has not yet
been determined, but hundreds Of in
jured are crowding the hospitals.
The latest estimates are that 10000
buildings We're destroyed these includ-
ing banks, stock exchange, museum.
government edihces and factories.
While at present it is impossible ac-
curately to state the losses these are
given roughly at several million yen.
1t is feared that some insurance COM
panies will fail as result OF heavy
losses they will be called upon to pay.
The confiagration lasted more than
25 hours. In the burned section streets
are narrow and houses were mostly
of wood. Under strong breeze there,
the buildings were easy prey for the
flames, which jumped from one to an
other with great rapidity.
POOR WATER SUPPLY
Once hope was almost abandoned
that the conflagration could be arrest
ed. The firemen fought valiantly
Il - fnr n
high wind and many fell unconscious
while working. Had not the water
supply been curtailed by the existing
drought it is believed the fire would
have been quenched without great
damage
The greatest confusion prevailed
among working girls in the factory
quarter, but no serious loss of life re<
suited there
Property of people who were able
to save anything from their burning
homes is piled in great heaps along
the railroad tracks from Osaka to Kobe,
where they were removed early Sat
urday morning when the fire broke
out. At dawn Saturday thousands of
persons heavily laden with household
effects fed across the numerous canal
bridges and away from the fire zone.
When they had reached safety the
burdens were laid down and able bodied
members of families returned TO the
city to assist in fighting the flames,
leaving the old people to guard their
effects. All Saturday and far into
the night the male population assisted
the hremen and the troops in fighting
the confia grafton.
-FOUR MILES SQUARE
An area more than four miles square,
containing some of the city's handsofn-
est structures, including the Buddhist
temple, the largest in the world, was
entirely burned over before the fire
was brought under control. The stock
exchange, one of the most important
in this country, was entirely destroyed.
This loss, it is believed, will tend
greatly to dislocate the business Of
Osaka, which, with its manufacturing
concerns, is one of the chief CONNER
cial cities of Japan.
Women were terror stricken by the
fire and fed hither and thither with
their children, some of whom were
crying for food that could not be
obtained.
The emperor is deeply concerned over
the disaster and it is believed that he
will make a generous donation to the
relief fund and that his action will
be quickly followed by gifts from
charitable people and institutions.