The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-10-01
A BLAZE IN JAPAN
Yelling Mohs Throng the Streets
When a Fire Starts.
IN A FRENZY OF EXCITEMENT.
Every Native In Town Makes a Mad
Dash For the Scene of the Confagra-
tion and Chaos Reiens Supreme.
Even Small Fire Is Big Event.

Dash For the Scene of the Conflagra-
tion and Chaos Reiens Supreme.
Even Small Fire Is Big Event.
fire is a great event in Japan. One
fimsy construction of the Japanese
houses and their packing together
make fires Of almost daily occurrence
III the cities. at any rate-ires would
have lost q portion of their novelty
during the ten or fifteen centuries ia
They have not, though. When the fire
bell begins to toll the whole popula-
tion goes to the fire.
| was In u jinrikisha In Yokohama
on my way to the railroad station
when | heard the cangor of bell,
shouted: "Kwaji! Kwaji"-or what
sounded like that-and displayed strong
evidences of breaking into a gallop.
Sore wa nanigesukaY' inquired po-
lftely, remembering from my phrase
book, What is that?"
And so 1t fell out that we went to
the fre-the coolie, the jinrikisha and
myself-for | had no words to stop
him except very uncertain 'Tomaru!
And be did not choose to tomaru.
The cooie 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 shanties 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 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. unconcernedly and in q 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
ztood still except myself, and | soon
got away. fa- the japanese, frenzied
with excitement, were humping into
me from all sides
| Presently the firemen 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 gesticulation. Every
fireman. whether regular or volunteer,
seemed TO be a chief. They all gave
| orders that nobody obeyed. like vol.
unteer fire outfit II country village al
! home.
There were ten or fifteen minutes o1
this runntpg lack and forth and shout
ing by the fremen; then some tiny
| streams of water began to sprinkle OF
the fire. Also. few big engines be
! gan to squirt. Meantime the firemer
were paying no attention to the houses
on fire. but were trying to keep other
| houses from burning. A few of then
tore states from adjacent roofs anG
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 eacf
way the streets were packed from wal
TO wall with excited people. all run
ming back and forth and all shouting.
had to club 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 / was depriving
him of real peaSure-taking some
thing out OF his life by not allowing
rim to stay and belp put out that fire.
! it seems almost superfuous to say
missed my train or that the jinrikisht
man. bowling and smiling, remarked
Il am sorrow for your However. thar
made me later in getting back thai
night, and as | 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 Japanese youth, stumpinE
along on his wooden clogs. wearing {
derby hat and clad in kimono. and b,
was playing on a mouth organ "Shal
We Gather at the River?" Wherein
was illustrated and exemplified the ole
and the new japan Samuel e. Blythe
in Saturday Evening Post.