Hu Kaung provinces prefers request for the bestowal of posthumous distinction upon two officers of the Salt Preventive Service who lost their lives ina fire that occurred at Hankow on the night of the Ist September Inst. The Memorialist observes that Hankow is an important trade resort and has a dense popular along the river bank there are mat sheds in which a petty trade is carried on. On the night in question a fire broke out in a tea-house at the large jetty and spread to the adjoining houses. A strong North-west wind happened to be! Blowing at the time and the sparks were carried across the river where they set fire to some thatched huts on the south bank in the suburbs of the city of Hanyang. Thence it spread to the shops and warehouses in the vicinity. The civil and military authorities took command of the fire engines and used their utmost endeavours to check the pro-ures of the flames, but owing to the dry-hess of the atmosphere and the high wind UUne-prevailed, the fire rized for four hours before it was extinguished. A great number of boats that were anchored along the Danks of the river were totally consumed token of the unity of the Empire, the and their occupants were either burnt to Chinese Almanac is sent from Peking on death or drowned while attempting to the Ist of the 10th moon of each year to the escape. The catastrophe was altogether ces and to the Tributary one of unusual extent and the poor lhneksters along the banks who were burnt out of The Tanguts have always folonms the only exception to their mat sheds were left in a pitiable state lowed the Mahometan system of calculation, of destitution. Tls. 1,003 were raised for and as a concession to their feelings, the their relief by the Tavtai at Hankow and Emperors of China have never imposed its distribution was entrusted tu the Magis- upon them the accept an of the Tmpe trate.
The charitable institutions have They have been allowed to pre-been good enough to undertake the burial own faith and maintain their of the bodies of those who were not iden-Jas long as they con titied by their relatives. Two deputies in to Chinese administration, Chinese civil and charge of the preventive department of the uiilitary establishments have existed i salt administration, seeing that the station was on fire and that the boats would bably be destroyed, went with their st te attempt to save them. No sooner, h and aspect of houses great inconvenience ever, had they got them clear of the river, has been experienced. "Copies of the than they were surrounded by the flanes Almanac have hitherto always been pro-and finding no way of escape, jumped cured from Ch'eng-tu but it is often the be-the water and were dre r bodies the cur-were found the next d an be distributed in Tibet. The burnt. Officers who lose their lives at sea arise published under Imperial autho-on the public service are entitled to pustrity for securing an auspicious aspect in humous honours, and as the present is a house construction is still more difficult to il sadder case of sacrifice to duty, the procure. The Tmperial resident deprecates Memorialist feels justified i 1g for the ference with the tradi cuts: bestowal of high unarks of considerat ould ask comfort the souls of the deceased in th Mauch realm of darkness. and forty-tiv with five copies of the t
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.