Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-10-29
A BLAZE IN JAPAN
Yelling Mobs Throng the Streets
When a Fire Starts.
IN A FRENZY OF EXCITEMENT.

Dash For the Scene of the confiaora-
ton and Chaos Reiens Supreme.
Even a Small Fire Is a Big Event.
A fire is a great event in Japan. One
would think that. inasmuch as the
aimsy construction of the japanese
houses and their packing together
make fires of almost daily occurrence
in the cities. at any rate-fres would
have lost a portion of their novelty
during the ten or fifteen centuries ia
pan has regularly been burning down.
They have not, though. When the fire
bell begins TO toll the whole popula-
ton goes to the fire.
l was In a jinrikisha In Yokohama
on my way to the railroad station
and the coolie who was drawing me
shouted: "Kwaji. Kwajir'-or what
sounded like that-and displayed strong
evidences of breaking into a gallop.
Sore wa nanigesukaY" | inquired po-
litely. remembering from my phrase
book. What is that?"
"Kwaji.' he shouted. "Kwajit"
And so # fell out that we went to
the fre-the coolie. the jinrikisha and
myself-for | had no words to stop
him except q very uncertain "Tomaru!"
And be did not choose to tomaru.
The coolie galloped down n 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
were so interested and excited that [
thought they must be shareholders In
the shanties which were burning.
A man dashed wildly to one, end of
the street elhowing people out of his
way, stepping on them. pushing against
them. and thnn he stopped, emitted a
wild screech and dashed back again.
/ say one man did that In reality a
thousand did it on each of the four
sides of the block in which the fire
was. unconctrnedly and In a casual
and unhampered manner. demolishing
some small houses.
Other thousands-many of them
ran this way IL few steps and that way
a few steps. all h%y-ah!-ing. Not a man
stood still except myself. and | soon
got away. for the japanese. frenzied
with excitement. were humping into
me from all sides.
Presently the fremen 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 fremen 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 g~esticulation. Every
fireman, whether regular or volunteer.
seemed to be a chief. They all gave
orders that nobody obeyed. like a 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 iremen: then some tiny
streams of water began to sprinkle On
the fire. Also. q few big engines be-
gan to squirt. Meantime the firemen
were paying no attention TO the houses
on fire, but were trying to keep other
houses from burning. A few Of them
tore States from adjacent roofs and
cast them indiscriminately into the
crowd. Women with bundles of house
hold belongings struggled out of the
houses that might catch fire. More
thousands came. For four blocks each
way the streets were packed from wall
to wall with excited people, all run
ming back and forth and all shouting.
L had to cub my coolie with my cane
to make him start with me to the sta
ton, and he looked backward over his
shoulder all the way. l was depriving
him of a real pleasure-taking some
thing out OF his life by not allowing
him to stay and help put out that fire.
1t seems almost super1uous to say l
missed my train or that the jinrikisha
man, bowling and smiling. remarked.
II am sorrow for your However. that
made me later in getting back that
night, and as l went up dark and de-
serted Water street In Yokohama |
heard music ahead of me-a kind of
music and tune that sounded familiar.
Presently | overlook the musician.
He was a Japanese youth. stumping
along Oh his wooden clogs, wearing a
derby hat and clad IN a kimono. and he
was playing on a mouth organ shall
We Gather ut the River?' Wherein
was illustrated and exemplifed the old
and the new Japan.-Samuel q. Blythe
in Saturday Evening Post.