The Military Governor of Kirin furnishes details respecting the fire which recently occurred int the capital of his province and asks that he himself should be punished for his neglect inthe matter. The past spring was, he explains, an extremely dry season in Kirin. where even in ordinary times the large quantity of wood used in the construction of the homes and streets renders occurrence of fires a constant source of apprehension. The people had been duly impressed by the local authorities to exercise care in the matter, but notwithstanding this, an alarm of fire was given at noon on the'13th May. The Memorialist immediately proceeded to the spot with the fire engine and the whole official staff in the city and made every effort to extin-guise the flames. A violent wind however sprung up at the time, and although the Arsenal authorities and all the military in the city were employed in trying to keep the fire under, it spread with great rapidity in every direction. At 10 p.m. the wind fell slightly and the flames somewhat subsided. A most determined effort was then made at the imminent risk of life to make headway against the fire, and it was eventually extinguished about eight o'clock on the following morning. An inspection of the city was then made by the Taotai and Prefect who found that the fire had extended over an ares of three or four in circumference and that in all 2,598
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