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were made in the most remote of the buildings, and even in the succeeding block, in which the Club and the office of this paper are situated, for a sudden removal of effecte. The firemen did their best, but with the miserable stroams of water at their command, they could do no more than keep the walls of the house opposite to the roaring con- flagration at Kows's wetted. The jets would not reach to the top of the build- ing. To make matters worse the fire in the building about thirty yards higher up the hill became more intense, and at one period fire was discovered in the low building opposite, previously referred to, but was speedily extinguished.
For- tunately the wind was light, and a little later was blowing straight up the hill. Slowly the flames in the two buildings were reduced in intensity, and a mighty sigh of relief must have gone round when it was seen that the firemen bad obtained control of the fire, and that the Hongkong Dispensary block and succeed. ing blocks were saved.
A general feeling prevalla that a gross lack of system or a lamentable wart of her. mony existed amongst the diff rent bodies at work extinguisbing the great fire of last night. Every one appears to think that the flames ought to have circumscribed to a very small compass, and that the bolder measures of making a cordon of gaps around the burning mass, by means of pul- ling down or blowing up neighbouring houses, ought to have been taken hours be fore they were attempted. It is admittedy easy to comment upon how the door was not fastened after the steed is miles away; and we should be sorry to point to any parti cular officials, civil or military, up on whose shoulders the blame ought to rest. The fresh breeze also may have bad much to do with the alarmning spread of the fire. The result, however, is the same. While Battering ourselves for the last ten years that a fire had no chance against our Brigades and Engines, we have dis covered to our horror and amazement that a fire can assume the mastery, spread from block to block and street to street, and baffle all the skill or preconceived notions of our Fire-Master and his assistants (Mesara, C. V. Creagh and J. P. McEuen), How the fatal delay to blow up the unburnt adjacent buildings, especially corner houses, was occasioned, we are not as yet in a position to pay. The Fire-Master it ap- pears gave his authority to destroy in order to save, early in the evening,
but for some unaccountable reason the opportunity whe loss, and the flames marched on unchecked. It burnt fiercely for about seventeen hours, devouring property roughly estimated at about a million of dollars. How the Brigade men, the military and naval detachments, and many volunteers, worked like lions, though their efforts were evidently misdirected or but ill guided, will be readily admitted by all who saw them. Captain Deane, Mr Wodehouse, and many of the other local officials were also present,
doing good work. The distress among the Chinese will, it is stated, be relieved by their own people, several offers having been respectfully declined by the leading Chi- nese merchants. Captain McKirdy, of the steamer Perusia, placed his fine ateamer at the disposal of the authorities; bat though comfortable quarters could have been thus obtained for 700 or 800, ¡ the Chinese refused to accept the offer thus considerately made. It is to be hoped that the homeless may be provided with shelter of some kind or other. During the day the 74th Highlanders have been doing patrol duty, and the soldiers, together with those of the Volunteers who have not been out all night, will abare with the Police the arduous duty of patrolling the busy streets | during this night. A friendly offer from the spanish Consul of 100 men-of-war's men was declined by the Governor, with thanks, as being unnecesary under the ctr- oumstances; but a detachment from the Patino did good service during the fire.
As we go to press we observe that the fire shows signs of revival at several important points. It is stated that some of the engines have been sent home! Should & breeze arise, and an insufficient supply o water be on the spot, it is quite possibly we may have a repetition of the scene of last night. The Magistracy is certainly threatened with conflagration at the mo- ment we write (7 p.m.)
M
"CHINA MAIL" OFFICE,
Friday, Deo. 27th.
The light breeze that arose about five ! or six o'clock last night revived the fire at several points, and, owing to the absence of engines and firemen, mattere began at one time to wear a rather serious aspect, especially in the neigh- The bourhood of the Magistracy. breeze, however, did not strengthen, and when the engines were again got to work, the revived tires were quickly reduced to safe limits. This morning little is to be seen but ruined walls, and here and there smouldering fires--a ter- rible change in the bright and prosperous scene the same locality presented on Christmas morning. A walk through the ruined streets, from which the debris was being rapidly cleared away this morning, will enable an idea of the extent of the property destroyed to be appre- ciated. The boundaries and area of the fire we baye accurately described in & previous article.
A gentleman, who was among the first arrivals at Fisher's shop, where the fire originated, says that when he got there he saw sparks coming from the house, but that there were no flames for a time. The door was fastened, and there ap- peared to be no one in the house. He detected a smell of kerosine, and others present noticed it and spoke about it, This smell was observed fifty yards from the house. Very soon after the alarm was given the house burst into flames, and the fire rapidly extended into the Queen's Road. The occurrence of fires at three other places the same night, namely, Kowloon, Wong-nei-chong, and Stanley, certainly does seem
a little singular, although there appears to be little ground for supposing that these disasters were the concerted work of incendiaries. What, for example, could be the object of a band of rascals in setting a wooden erection adjoining Mr Francis's bungalow at Kowloon on fire, or in starting a conflagration at Stanley, seeing that no general attempt seems to have been made to rob or pillage either
in Hongkong, or the outlying places in question? Individual malice or interest may have accounted for one or two of the fires; and while on this subject we may mention one or two circumstances, which are evidence, at least, of a desire on the part of some individuals among the Chinese to spread the fire after it had originated. We hear on very good au-
thority that on one gentleman, who was taking an active part in the conflict against the flames, entering a native house threatened with the fire, he found a bale of goods standing in a room with & quantity of kerosine oil aproad around it on the floor. Another gentleman states that he discovered, in one of the habitations he entered, a train of gun- powder terminating in a pile of indam- muable chips. These circumstances point to the desirability of some enquiry being held both as to the origin and progress of the conflagration,
Bishop Raimondi and Father Burghi- gnoli request us to tender their best thanks to the Fire Brigade and military and naval authorities for the efforts made to save the Roman Catholic Cathedral.
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