From THE "Nomrg-CHINA Dany News,"
of OCTOBER 7, 1877
During the whole summer, the members of the Fire Brigade were not called out once to actual duty, no fires having occurred—a circumstance almost unprecedented in so long a time. But, at last, the immunity has been broken—happily not with a fire of serious dimensions, but sufficiently large to prove that everything was in order to cope with contingencies, The alarm bell sounded shortly after six o'clock on Saturday evening, indicating the locality of the outbreak to be the Foochow road. Simultaneously a glare appeared, so considerable as to lead to the supposition that the fire was of large proportions; and the streets leading in its direction were soon thronged with people. AN excitement, however, was soon over. The fire had originated in a small native cotton shop and soon enveloped the two adjoining shops. These: were in full blaze when the police arrived on the"scene with their extincteurs; but it was apparent that the substantially built walls around the seat of the fire precluded all possibility of the flames spreading to any serious extent, With praiseworthy promptness, the different engines arrived; but two were sufficient-to cope with the flames. How the fire originated is not known, the police having been unable to find the inmates of the cotton shop. oe
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.