The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-02
FIRE SWEEPS
 HOMES AWAY Hunger Stares Thous-
 ands in Face. HOSPITALS ARE CROWDED More Than 20,o00 Buildings Re-
 duced to Ashes. Buddhist Temple, stock Exchange, Banks and Government Buildings Destroyed-Emperor Deeply
 Concerned Over Disaster.

Osaka. Japan, Aug. l.-confusi0n | still prevails here as a result of Sat | urday's disastrous .fre. Thousands of persons are homeless and hunger is
 staring many of them in the face. A system of relief has been ordered | by the municipal authorities. but 1t is inadequate to supply all needs. Out | side cities and towsn are generously
 sending in contributions to De used in alleviating the sufferinss of the home less and destitute.
 The number of casualties has not yet
 been determined but hundreds of in jured persons are crowding the hospi- | tals.
 The latest estimate is that 10000 buildings are destroyed. these in- cluding banks, the Stock Exchange, the museum, Government edinces and
 fakirs. While at present 1t Is impos-
 sible accurately 10 state the losses these are given roughly at several
 million yen. It is feared that some of of the insurafce companies will faH
 as result of the heavy losses. Fire Rages Day and Might. The -conhagration lasted more than twenty-five hours. and today the burned section presents a depiorabie sight. The streets of the city are very narrow. and the houses were mostly of wood construction. Under strong breeze, therefore, the buildings were easy prey for the flames. witch jumped to one another with great rA-
 pidity. once hope was almost abans doned that the conhagration could De
 arrested. The firemen fought valiant- ly against the odds of lack of water and the high wind, and many of them fell unconscious while working brave | iy at their posts. Had not the water supply been curtailed by the iasting drouth, it is believed the fire would have been auenched without great damage.
 During the fire In the afternoon. panic prevailed among the spinning girls in the factory quarter. but Tor.
 tunately no serious loss of lire oo. cured there.
 | The belonKings of the people who | were able tos save anything from their | burning hoomes are piled In greA1 heaps along the railroad tracks from osaka to Kobe. where they were re- | moved early Saturday morning when | the fire broke out. In the gray oL the dawn of Saturday thousands ot | persons heavy-laden with household | erects were to be seen fleeing across | the numerous canal bridges and away from the fire zone.
 Return to Fight Fiames. when they had reached places ot
 saafety, the burdens were laid down and the able -bodied members Of fami- lies returned to the city to assist ID fighting the flames. leaving the old neople to protect their effects from thieves. All Saturday and far into inc night these people assisted the troops and iremen in quenching ths conhagration.
 An area of over four miles squars'
 containing some of the city's handscm-
 est structures. including the Buddhist Temple, the largest in the world. vas entirely burned. The Stock Exenanse, one of the most important In Ihia country. was entirely destroyed. This loss, 1t is believed, will tend consid- | erably to dislocate the business U osaka. which, with its manufacturing concerns. is one of the chief commsr- cial cities of Japan.
 Many touching sights were to pc
 aeen during the fire. The women were terror stricken and fled hither and tbither with their children, some of whom later cried for food that coalc not be obtained for them.
 The Emperor Is deeply concerned over the disaster, and 1t Is believed he will make a generous donation to
 inc relief fund. and that his action
 will be quickly followed by gifts from
 charitable people and institutions.