Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-02
CITY OF OSAKA
LAID IN RUINS;
HUNDREDS HURT
TWENTY THOUSAND BUILDINGS
REPORTED DESTROYED
THOUSANDS OF PERSONS REM
DERED HOMELESS
Losses Are Estimated at Several Mill
lion Yen-F7eief from Outside
Cities, While Generous,
Is inadequate
CBy AssociateC PressD

n SAkA, Japan. Aug. l. $50 p. M
Confusion still prevails here as a
~ result of the disastrous fire which
was got under control today
Thousands of persons are homeless
and facing hunger.
A system of relief has been organized
by the municipal authorities, but it is
inadequate to supply all needs.
outside cities and towns are gener-
ously sending in contributions to be
used in alleviating sufferings of the
homeless and destitute.
The number of casualties has not
been determined. but hundreds OF in
jured are croWding the hospitals.
The latest estimates are that 10000
buildings were destroyed. these includ-
ing banks, the stock exchange, the mu-
scum, government edifces and fac
tories.
While at present it is impossible ac-
curately to state the losses. these are
estimated at several million yen.
1t is feared some insurance companies
will fail as a result of heavy losses they
will have to pay.
The conhagra ton lasted more than
twenty-five hours. In the burned sec
tion streets are narrow and houses we've
mostly of wood. Under a strong breeze
the buildings were easy prey for the
other with great rapidity.
Once hope was almost abandoned
that the confla grafton could be arrested.
The firemen fought valiantly against
the odds of lack of water and 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
eXtinguished with but a small loss.
nTPX9tlpH
among working girls in the factory
quarter. but no serious loss of life re-
suited there.
Property Piled in Heaps
Property of people who were able to
save anything from their burned homes
is piled in great heaps along the track
of the railroad from Osaka to Kobe. to
which they were removed Saturday
when the fire broke out.
At dawn Saturday thousands of per
sons heavily laden with household et-
fects fled across the numerous canal
bridges and away from the fire zone.
When they had reached safety the bur
dens were laid down and able-b bodied
men returned to the city to assist in
fighting the flames, leaving the old peo-
pie to guard their effects. All Satur-
day and far into the night the male
population assisted the firemen and the
troops in fighting the confiagration. An
area more than four miles square, con-
tanning some Of the city's handsomest
structures, including the Buddhist tenn
pie, the largest in the world, was en-
tirely burned over before the fire was
brought under control
The stock exchange, one of the most
important in this country, was entirely
consumed. This loss it is believed
will tend greatly to dislocate the busi-
ness of Osaka, which, with its manu-
featuring concerns, is one of the CHIEF
commercial cities of Japan.
Women were terrOr-stricken by the
fire and fed hither and thither with
their children, some of whom were cry
ing for food which could not be OBJ
tanned for them.
The emperor is deeply concerned over
the disaster, and it is believed he VIII
make a generous donation for the relief
of the people. and that his action will
be followed by gifts from charitable
people and institutions.