Improved Equipment Now Available: Welcome Appointment of New Mayor Frost Our Oww Consesronoent Amoy, Mar. 23.
At the beginning of the week we experienced warm weather, alluring tus to believe that summer had come and that winter garments might be Giscarded with impunity. After three Gays, however, the weather broke and we are now feeling a cold and damp reaction, In the late afternoon of last Friday a fire broke out behind the Amoy Customs House in a godown used for the temporary storage of confiscated goods. It Is understood that the fire was accidental in origin. As the godown contained large quantities of matches, Kerosene, sugar and other inflammable materials, It was fortunate that the outbreak was discovered before it had got beyond control. It is estimated that goods to the value $10,000 were destroyed, but, thanks to the absence of wind and the valiant efforts of the Amoy Fire Brigade and assistants in fighting the flames and removing inflammable materials, the fire was kept from spreading and after two hours was extinguished. The Kulangsu Fire Brigade also crossed the harbour to render assistance, but by the time of its arrival the fire had alreuy been mastered.
Although there is apparently no evidence of incendiarism, during ent months the successful activities of the Customs Preventive "Service have so effectively undermined the activities of many engaged in, the smuggling trade, especially that the Irregular junk ytraMle between Formosa and the South Fukien Ca: that there is in Amoy a considerable body of disgruntled individuals anxfous to pay back old scores, One euch attempt was the bomb throwing] incident of last summer when a home made bomb was exploded behind the Customs House. Two days ago several men bearing bundles of a peculiar shape were seen loitering in the vicinity of the customs. Their movements aroused the—suspicions of a Customs' Ofte challenged they roy and disappeared in the crowd, The Packoges were examined and found to contain twelve rifles and 2,000 rounds of ammunition,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.