The soldiers and sailors did remarkably well on the whole, considering that the fire occurred on Christmas night, and most of them were at the time on leave and--to use a mild phrase remarkably jolly. With the exception of a few men left in care of the vessels, we understand that the whole of the crews of the Victor Emanuel and the other guuboats in har- bour were, or had leave to be, on shore, and it would assuredly be expecting more from the blue jackets and soldiers than could be expected from civilians on Christmas day if the precision and smart- ness of every-day life was anticipated on their part on Wednesday night. As it was there was a considerable amount of laxity about "Jack" and his military bonfrère during the night, which we feel bonfident would not have been observable on any other occasion. Many of the beamen, and the bulk of the soldiers, did their duty in a very creditable manner-remembering that, as servants of their country, one of their first duties should be the preservation of order, and exertions for the public good. The fire-brigades worked hard and manfully, although there can be no two opinions upon the point that their general direction was bad. It is most important that the command on such occasions as these should be veated in one competent individual, and that his word should be absolute law, while he should be at all times in a position to receive advice, information, and assistance from the military and possibly naval authorities. The jets of water used in the course of this conflagration were also something contemptible. Whether this was the fault of the water supply or of the engines we are unable to say, but it is certain that the fire brigades here can never be regarded as efficient until they can, at a reasonable distance from the Praya, reach the tops of moderately lofty houses with their streams of water.
If it be true that the Tung Wah Hospital Committee has refused an offer [of the Captain of the Perusia to accom- modate seven or eight hundred of the homeless Chinese on board his vessel, that refusal should sound the death knell of the influence of the semi-official body in question. We are certain that the offer was made, and equally positive that the offer was refused. Had the Tung Wal Hospital Committee undertaken to substitute other accommodation for that which they refused, some excuse might be found for their conduct. But as a matter of fact we can assert from our own observation that many Chinese families passed the night, in the open air exposed to the cold blasts across the Praya and up Wyndham Street, with no other protection from the chills of the night than that afforded them by the few miserable coverings than they were able to save from the flames. The wail of the poor children of these unfortunate people must have been noticed by every one walking in the neighbourhood of On the Clock Tower last evening. board the Perusia these people would and have been comfortably housed, excellent arrangements would have been, at their disposal for the cooking of their food, and the storage of the household effects that have been left to them. At the same time, it must be admitted that the Chinese are "peculiar" in this as in other matters. We know of several cases where offers of assistance were flatly declined; blankets were refused by women whose children were crying in the cold; and the feeling of true charity which looks for no return save the satis- faction of having helped a fellow-man seems to have no place in many of the
Chinese sufferers. They trust no one, and fancy that every offer made them has merely its commercial value either to those who offer or their domestic servants.
We most unaccountably omitted to make any mention of the fact that H. E. the Governor arrived on the spot about three o'clock in the morning, be having till that hour been quite unaware of the calamity that had turned out the Christ- mas feasters to fight against a sort of pandemonium of fire and confusion. From that bour the Governor, accom- pauled by Major Palmer, A.D.C., was to be found at nearly every point of the conflagration; and it would seem that Mr Creagh is the better for H. E.'s consideration. Last night we stated that. Mr Creagh's quarters were "looted "; but as this operation was carried on by H. E, the proceeds were safely stowed at Government House, and there found to-day, to the no small satisfaction of the Fire-Master, who had himself given up his goods and chattels as lost. Mr Price, the Surveyor General, was most energetic in his efforts during the entire progress of the fire; and many of the officers, naval and military, were praise- worthily prominent in everything that, under the circumstances, could be done. It would be invidious to give names, where so many were working so hard and so willingly. A word, however, must be said in praise of the Hongkong Volunteers, over forty of whom turned out for guard and patrol duty during last night. The Hongkong Bank (which was the bead-quarters) and the Post office were the public institutions placed under their care and patrols were kept up in various districts of the city. Con- sidering that most of the members spent an almost sleepless night while the fire was at its height, this duty was no empty formality on the part of our gallant Volunteer Corps. To this fact, as well as to the readiness shown by the military authorities to assist the Police in preserving order, we may attribute the absence of any serious occurrences during the night-most of the 180 pri- soners dealt with at the Magistracy to- day being Chinese who were taken up while the fire raged,
While we cannot give anything like an idea, at least as yet, of the loss sus- tained by individual property-holders, especially those who sought not safety in insurance policies, a pretty accurate estimate can be given of the losses ans- tained by the various Insurance Offices, home as well as local. The Honokong Fire sets down its losser at $150,000, and we understand they may come with- in that figure. We are informed that the China Fire will cover their losses by $70,000 or $80,000-a sum much less than was at first expected it would be. It will therefore be seen that our local underwriting companies will not suffer so heavily as the picture of desolation and destruction would lead one to suppose. We ought to add that the On Tai, the Chinese company, will lose a little over $20,000. The Home Offices, as is but right, share the loss, as follows-Phoenix Fire Insurance Co., and Liverpool London & Globe, $80,000 (Douglas Lapraik & Co.); The Trans- Atlantic Fire Insurance Co. of Ham- burg, $50,000 (lemssen & Co.); Impe rial Fire Insurance Co., $30,000 (Gibb, Livingston & Co.); Lancashire Insurance Co., $17,000 (Arnbold Karberg & Co.) ; and Royal, $10,000 (Melchors & Co.) Mr Fisher, in whose houso the fire originated, is insured in the Lancashire to the extent of $5,000. We have not yet learnt how much the Sun Office or
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