Another fire broke out between two and three o'clock on Wednesday morning at the junction of the Canton and Quangsi Roads. itself the fire was a comparatively small one, nine Chinese houses or shops being the extent of the property destroyed; but four lives were sacrificed, and there is another incident in connection with the disaster which demands exposure with a view to prevent obstacles being placed in the way of the Fire Brigade, which, more than all the other of our local institutions, deserves the thanks and support of the community, and particularly that of the Chinese, who, but for their assistance, would be entirely helpless in such emergencies.
The fire was discovered by the native policeman on the beat, who, about half-past two o'clock, observed smoke issuing from the upper windows of a shop in the Quangsi Road and simultaneously flames burst through the doors below. He alarmed the neighbourhood and then ran to the Louza Police Station. Telegraphic news was despatched to the other stations, and in the meantime the police from Louza with their extincteurs repaired to the scene, where they were soon afterwards joined with others from the Central, and working together they did excellent service in preventing the flames spreading. The Fire Brigades were speedily on the spot, but it was sometime before they obtained water. The French engine "Torrent" was stationed near the Yangking-pang Creek, whence it obtained water, and played on the flames in the Quangsi Road, the police with their extincteurs being meanwhile busy at the back part of ths burning premises, obtaining water from a well; while No 4 engine, the "Deluge," was endeavouring to obtain water from the tone in the compound of the Polytechnic stitution, with a view to prevent the flames spreading up the Canton Road, the corner buildings being all ablaze and roofless, The firemen, we are informed, were about to make a hole through the bamboo fence for the hose, but the watchman, or the man in charge, told them there was now no well there or water to be had on the premises, This was communicated to the foreman, who ordered the engine to be removed to the Defence Creek, but while this was beingd one it was ascertained that thera was a pond and a good supply of water in the Polytechnic Compound, and by dint of persuasion admission was afterwards gained and the pond availed of. But the falsehood by the watchman, or whoever he was, caused fully a quarter-of-an-hour's delay, and the flames made greater progress up the Canton Road than it is naturally per-sumed they would have done if this obstruction had not occurred. The flames soon succumbed to the application of water from the "Torrent" and ' Deluge," and by about half-past three o'clock, they were well-nigh extinguished, and the crowd which had collected began to disperse, The police and a few firemen remained, and while piling up the ruins to prevent obstruction to street traffic, the body of a man was found protruding from the debris of the shop in which the fire had originated. The removal of this led to the discovery of three other bodies, all within a few feet of each other. They were carefully dug from the ruins, laid on doors, and placed in a safe position at the side of the street. In each instance the bodies were charred and disfigured almost beyond recognition; but they were all subsequently identified.
From one who very narrowly escaped a similar fate, the police have obtained the information that nine countrymen, all dealers in poultry, wore sleeping in the room over the one in which the flames were first seen, which, strange to say, was unoccupied and contained nothing of an inflammable nature. The sleepers were atvakened by the heat of the flooring boards on which they were lying, and at once discovered that the house w: Three escaped by dropping down into the street from the upper front windows, while two others effected egress by the back windows, and it is supposed the four whose body recovered rushed downstairs with a view to escape by the front dyer, and were overpowered either by the smoke or flam: the nine men come from Tahzang, a place about thirty li from Shanghai, and yosterday afternoon the bodies of the deceased were removed from the scene of the fire, and it was said they were to be taken to their native place for burial.
At the Mixed Court, on Thursday, before the Chinese Magistrate Chen and' R. H. Maclay, Esq., U.S. Assessor, the two watchmen at the Polytechnic Institute, who rendered themselves so obstructive to the Fire Brigade when every exertion was being made by the members to obtain a supply of water during the recent fire near the Institute, were brought up for punishment. The Assessor represented the facts of the case to the Magistrate, who expressed the greatest indignation at the unwarrantable interference on the part of the defendants. The offenders admitted that they had endeavoured to prevent the members of the Brigade from entering the Institute premises, but stated that they had received orders to that effect from the Deputy in charge of the Institute. The Assessor informed the representative in Court of the Shanghai Fire Brigade that the case was of too serious a nature to be dealt with by the Court, the more especially as the Deputy in question held his appoint-mont direct from His Excellency the Taotai. The Assessor, therefore, stated that the particulars of the case would be immediately communicated to His Excellency through the Consulate-General, and that an urgent request for the severe punishment of the offenders would be made, the chief watchman being in the meantime locked up in the Court gaol.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.