Whatever festivities the Shanghai Fire Brigade contemplated inaugurating on Christmas Eve, they were rudely interrupted by an outbreak of fire at Pootung. The flames were seen to be coming from buildings in front of the British Cigarette Co.'s new godown, the first intimation being a glare in the sky about 11 p.m., observed from the watch-towers. It was at first reported that some Chinese houses at the back of Mackenzie's were on fire, but the flames later appeared to be too high for this to be correct, and on inquiries being made by the Fire Department, information was received that it was a contractor's yard, lying be tween the new godowns, and two or three terraces of Chinese houses.
The Float stood by for some time, and on it being stated that the fire was down somewhat, it was considered that all danger was_ past, and members of the Central Division gave a_ sigh of relief. This later turned to other sighs, when 'a revival was reported from the Bell Tower, so much so, that the Chief Officer and a party of men went across, and found matters none too rosy for the godown or the village, as the fire from tha large stacks of timber in the contractor's yard had got into a number of the dwellings, and was working qui alone to the main village, towards the south.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.