Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-09-28
A BLAZE IN JAPAN
Yeaing Mobs Throng the Streets
When a Fire Starts.
IN A FRENZY OF EXCITEMENT.

""S ;" ioWn MAKES Mac
Dash For the Scene Of the Confiaara
tion and Chaos Reisns Supreme
Even Small Fire Is Big Event.
A fire is great event in Japan. One
would think that, tnasmuch as the
himsy construction of the Japanese
houses and their packing together
make fires Of almost daily occurrence
In the cities. at any rate-fires would
nave lost portion of their novelty
during the ten or fifteen centuries Ja-
pan has regularly been burning down.
They have not, though. When the fire
Dell begins to toll the whole popula-
ton goes to the fire.
was in jinrikisha in Yokohama
on my way to the railroad station
when ! heard the clangor of bell,
and the coolie who was drawing me
shouted: "Kwaji! KwaJip-or what
sounded like that-and displayed strong
evidences of breaking into gallop.
"Sore wa nanigesuka?" inquired DO.
litely. remembering from my phrase
book, what is that?"
"Kwajiw he shouted. "Kwajiw'
And SO 1t fell out that we went to
the fire-the coolie, the jinrikisha and
myself-for had no words to stop
him except very uncertain ''Tomaru"
And he did not choose to tomaru.
The coolie galloped down one street
and up another, and in ten minutes
was in the midst of 10000 people clad
in every style of japanese dress, and
all running backward and forward.
Not a man walked. All ran They
We're so interested and excited that /
thought they must be shareholders In
the lshanties which were burning
A man dashed wildly to one end of
the street elbowing people out of his
way. stepping on them. pushing against
them, and then he stopped, emitted
wild screech and dashed back again. |
/ say one man did that. In reality a
thousand did 1t on each of the four |
sides of the block in which the fire
was, unconcernedly and in a casual
and unhampered manner. demolishing
some small houses.
Other thousands-many of them
ran this way few steps and that way
a few steps, all hy-ah!-ing. Not man
stood still except myself, and | soon
got away, for the japanese, frenzied
with excitement, were humping into
me from all sides.
Presently the f1remen came. They
dashed in from all quarters of the city,
dragging little hose carts painted red
and flying white and red flags.
The hydrants in Yokohama are in
manholes below the surface of the
street. The firemen Joined In the mill
ing throng. They ran back and forth,
too, and the spectators ran back and
forth after them. There was much
shouting and gesticulation. Every
fireman. whether regular or volunteer, I
seemed to be chief. They all gave
orders that nobody obeyed. like vol {
unteer fire outfit in a country village at
home. {
There were ten or fifteen minutes of !
this running back and forth and shout {
Ing by the fremen; then some tiny t
streams of water began to sprinkle on t
he fire. Also, few big engines be-
gan to squirt Meantime the firemen G
we're paying no attention to the houses '
IN fire. but were trying to keep other g
houses from burning. A few of them d
ore states from adjacent. roofs and b
,ast them indiscriminately into the s
Towd. Women with bundles of house s
lold belongings struggled out of the
louses that might catch fire. More
thousands came. For four blocks each
way the streets were packed from wall Il
o wal! with excited people. all run. I
ing back and forth and all shouting ii
l had to club my cooie with my cane II
0 make him start with me to the sta in
ion, and he looked backward over his r
boulder all the way. | was depriving lie
i'm of real pleasure-taking some. la
hing out of his life by not allowing pt
i'm to stay and help put out that fire, M
1t seems almost superfuous to say | W
lissed my train or that the jinrikisha Sc
ian, bowling and smiling, remarked st
am sorrow for your However, that Sc
lade me later in getting back that re
Ight. and as l went up dark and de- su
,rted Water street In Yokohama l ba
card music ahead of me-a kind of
usic and tune that sounded familiar.
Presently l overlook the musician. ,
e was a japanese youth, stumping isl
ong on his wooden clogs. wearing a ed
.rby hat and clad in kimono, and he th
as playing on a mouth organ ''Shall me
e Gather at the RiverT Wherein bu
as illustrated and exemplifed the old a
ID the new Japan.-Samuel G. Blythe me
Saturday Evening Post. in
" cal
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