Removed by Firemen After Struggle; Two Fires The Shanghai Fire Brigade had another busy period last night when engines from various stations spent total of nearly four hours fighting a godown outbreak in Hongkew and a more serious fire at a Chinese village off Columbia Road. In addition the services of several stalwart firemen were required shortly after 10 pin. to remove a demented Chinese who, by some means or another, had seated himself at the top of a concrete pole near Jessfield Park from which precarious position he refused to move.
Gesticulating wildly as he perched 30 feet from the ground on the pole which was situated in Welcome Terrace, quite close to Jessfeld Park, the demented Chinese refused to be enticed down from his perch. After several abortive attempts had been made to remove him it was decided to send for a fire engine from the Bubbling Well station.
Erecting ladders the firemen made short work of removing the Chinese, in spite of his struggles. Half carried, half dragged by some hefty Chinese members of the Brigade he was soon on terra firma, where he was placed in an ambulance and taken for observation.
Numerous bales of cotton and other articles were damaged by fire and water during the godown blaze which occurred at about 5 o'clock yesterday evening at 610 Broadway East. Engines from the Hongkew and Central stations responded tô the call and the blaze was controlled in 24 minutes. Over two and a half hours' work, however, was required before the engines were able to proceed back to their stations.
Two houses, both used as a celluloid factory for the manufacture of ping pong balls, were destroyed and one house was badly damaged at the second outbreak which occurred at Fah Wha Sing village, off Columbia Road at 6 p.m. Engines from the Bubbling Well Station responded and were able to leave after one and a half hour's work.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.