FIRES AND FIRE BRIGADE (CONTINUATION)
which suffered was the first Roman Catholic Church (built in 1842-3) The series of fires of more or less magnitude makes a lengthy list, and we have already noted that many incendiary fires were started by criminals (pirates and robbers) who came over from the mainland.
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In the previous reference, mention was made of the existence in the early years of a volunteer fire brigade. This useful body became moribund, but was revived in 1873, by the insurance companies (see 27-6-33). Thus, we find items like the following in the Hongkong Times, of July 26, 1873.
"Yesterday morning, about two o'clock, there was an alarm of fire and, on proceeding to the spot, we found one of the offices in Woo-On Lane burning fiercely. The 'Hongkong Fire Insurance engines were first on the spot, followed by the Fire Brigade's engines a few minutes afterwards."
Then on August 1, 1873, appears a note on the better equipment being procured, including big fire bells.
"We notice that one of the new fire bells which arrived from San Francisco a few months ago, is now being placed on the highest portion of the Central Station, a substantial framework of hard wood being fitted to sustain the weight. From the elevated position the bell will have, the alarm of a fire, if properly given, will be heard at a great distance.
What with plagues and piracies, typhoons and fires, and at least one disastrous flood, Hongkong's history since the British possession has been anything but dull. A considerable amount of space has already been devoted, in the course of these daily articles, to plagues, piracies, typhoons, and the flood of 1889. Little, however, has been written about the disastrous fires which have swept the city from time to time.
The first great fire was in 1851, when enormous damage was done and many Chinese lost their lives. The next curious outbreak occurred in 1866, and it is of this fire that I intend writing to-day.
Dusk had just fallen on the evening of October 30, 1866, when a sheet of flame suddenly rose from an unoccupied house opposite the old British Hotel in Queen's Road West. Inspector da Silva and some soldiers who were in the vicinity at the time said the fire was certainly the work of an incendiary. A huge pile of papers, straw, and matting had been arranged in the centre of the room where the fire originated, and in a few minutes the house was a mass of flames.
With lightning rapidity, the fire spread and, before it was extinguished, it had gutted 200 houses on both sides of Queen's Road West, from Riach's timber yards to the huge coal dump of the B. and B. Company.
Little water was available in the vicinity, and in the few minutes that elapsed between the discovery of the blaze and the arrival of volunteers with water, the fire had spread to the adjoining houses, whose flimsily built, inflammable verandahs offered every encouragement to the flames.
All available police in the Colony were rushed to the scene and did splendid work in fighting the fire and keeping the huge crowd out of the danger zone.