Last night there was a terrible fire at Parrot Islet, a little above Hanyang, on the "banks of the Yangtze.' Parrot Islet may have! deen a sand-spit once upon a time, Dut it ie now part of the river bank' and has been used for many years the sales ground for the timber which is brought down in rafts from Hunan. The stacks of timber are scattered over a large area, and the huts in which the watchers sleep are built among the stacks. Men in one of the Hengchow Co's. huts made!
fire of chips and a gust of wind caused the hut itself to catch alight. The flames instantly spread to the adjoining stack of timber, and, as the north wind was still blowing Tustily, nothing could be done to stop the conflagration. Even if the! Hanyang Fire Brigade had turned out, it could have done nothing, for:
only boasts three pumps worked by hand-power, with a few yards of those to each. It is estimated that timber to the value of a million dollars was burnt, as the fire lasted fall night. It is also believed that there will have been serious loss of life among the watchmen. the letters sent him only one reached him. The watch was very vigilant fas he was mot even permitted to {go to the toilet without being fol-Towed by an armed guard. The outlaws tied him and up once they heard that governm were being rushed to their place to rescue him.
According to. Father Ulrich, captors are actually Comm 'The leader of the gang, 2 young man of hardly 0 years old, speaks ish and French, being' educated in Belgium. Tu there are also a couple of officers: who speak English and have returned from abroad.
Father Ulvich arrived in Hankow on Thursday night and will remain hhere for some time to take a rest Dofore returning to his station at} Weiyuankow.—United Press
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.