As was estimated at the first the damage occasioned by the great fire in the Foochow Road onSundaynight(L1th)isexcessive, and from authentic figures to hand will probably amount to nearly Tls. 200,000. The limited supply of water at the commencement had doubtless something todo withthe spreading to the buildings immediately adjacent, but the brisk southerly breeze prevailing did much to retard the efforts of the firemen. Under all the circumstances the various fire companies deserve to be sincerely congratulated on their work, expecially having regard to the fact that no injury to person occurred, and that, too, in a locality populated in' the thickest possible manner. When the fire was at its fiercest, serious trouble threatened from the electric light plant, one of the wires of the are lamps burning and menacing those around with possibly fatal consequences. The seriousness of the situation was however ut onca recognised, and the officials from the Corporation electric light works were at once summoned by telephone and all danger removed, albeit at the expense of public lighting, a large number of lamps necessarily having to be disconnected. On Monday the ruins were still smouldering and the heat ising from the roadway and the heated wreck was almost overpowering. Some of the buildings were fairly substantially erected, but in the great majority of eases were only of a most ramshackle order. In all 4G tenements, made up of dwellings, brothels, and shops, principally, were totally destroyed and six seriously damaged. rious affected 69, 2,000; 3 443 and 449, Tis.
Tls. 12,000; 453, 454, Ts. 1,200; 45: 458, Tls. 4,500 458, Tls. 2,000; 459, 460, not. insured; 461, 462, Tls. 2,000; 282, 283, 984, Shantung Road, not insured; 285, Tls. 500; 286, 287,288, 289, not insured; 290, Ts. 500; 291, 292, not insured; 293, 294, Tls. 1,000; 295, '296, not insured; 297 and 298, Tls. 1,000; 299, not insured; 300, Ils. 500; 301 and 302, not insured.
This amounts to over Tls. 80,000, but is exclusive of the actual buildings which were insured in practically every case. The burden will fall. on almost every European Insurance Company operating here.
The doomed property we are informed was virtually entirely Chinese owned, but Europeans in one or two instances were referred to as agents.
The fire was caused, it is supposed, through the accidental upsetting of a kerosene oil lamp in. 59, a Chinese book-shop.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.