A FIRE IN JAPAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 158, 6 July 1874, Page 2

A FIRE IN JAPAN.

Mr Thomas S. Gissing, R. N., one of the engineer officers of the Royal Navy lent by tbe British to the Japanese Government for tho purpose of aiding in the development of the Japanese navy, scnJa to the Times a strikiug description of tho destruction by firo of the Imperial Temple of Sintoo Zojoji, at Sbiba. The Sintoo is the Imperial religion, and Zojoji, the temple which has been destroyed, is tbe Imperial temple. Shiba is one of the districts of the cily of YeJo, which city covers a space nine miles by five. Mr Gissing writes: —

" About one o'clock on the morning of the Ist January we were awakened by the violent clanging of the fire bells all over the city, end the booming of the great bell at the Chief Temple io Yedo, within a few hundred yards of which I was living. Of course to dress was the work of a few moments, as tbe servants reported the fire close to us, and conflagrations spread with such rapidity in a city like this, built entirely of wood, that, if situated to leeward of it, no matter at what distance, you are in danger of beiug burnt out. However on looking round, and seeing no immediate danger, I went to the fire, which was at the Chief Temple above named, and in close proximity. On reaching it a scene not to be described presented itself. The Temple was one immeoae fire, with the flames leaping and lickiug it from the bottom to top. The whole structure was of" wood, with the exception of foundation and roof tiles. It was about 150 ft high, and entirely supported on wooden columns, there being neither walls at the outside nor division inside. The columns were about 60 in number aud about 30in. in diameter, supporting ac immense roof built with very deep, overhanging eaves, looking like tbe Chi-e.o pagodas pictures make us familiar with. The timber constituting the roof could never have been judged of except by the builder until it waa eeen in flames, when every stick was fiercely burning, the* flames towering 100 above it in immense sheets; and as the temple was built on a rising ground, it illuminated the country for au immense distance. The bell tower, containing tbe largest boll in Japan, was situated some 30 yards from it in the same enclosure, also built in the same manner as the temple. About half-past two it became only too evident that this also was destined to become a prey to the flames, the heat from the temple now being at its greatest, the roof having partially fallen io, admitting the air through freely. In another half-hour the bell tower was burning as fiercely as its neighbour, and all eyes were turned; towards it, watching the progress of the flames, and waiting to see the end of it by tbe falling of the great bell. As piece after piece tumbled away, and the bell became more distinct, it almost became a question whether it would fall, and not until nearly the whole building had come down, and nothing but the columns and cross beam were left did it become evident a shoit time would suffice to complete the disaster. Just at four o'clock crash went the burning timbers, and down came tho great bell, standing erect, and apparently uninjured, some feet only below where it had hung exactly 200 years. Tbis bell is 10ft 6in in diameter, and lOiu thick. It does not take rank as a large one, but is the largest iv Japan. It now became evident that thora was not much dinger of the fire spreading, which was fortunate, as within 50 yards are some of the grandest monuments in the country, this having been one of the burial places of the late Trycoons, eight of whom are here interred, with some of their wives and children. As each has a magnificent temple, in addition to tho tomb, of course they are numerous; but being ali surrounded by cypress, fir, and other trees of large size, they were thus protected from the flames, though the trees immediately round the burning pile became first scorched and then ignited. By nine o'clock a few — very few — black beams were left, and these still burning, of what bad been a magnificent temple and the head quarters of the Imperial or Sintoo religion. Not an article was saved, gods, gifts, and vestments all destroyed, after standing about 300 years.

" A few words as to scenes at a fire here, Of course there were thousands of people, but, uolike European fires, ip the whole mass of people about whom I moved in all directions not one woman did I see. There wa3 but little ncise and no excitement among them ; neither were there, I think, any of the light-fingered gentry; as the Japanese costume does not admit of carrying much property on the person, the trade is not lucrative. There were hundreds of police, who in their varied uniform looked well, and kept the people out of places of danger, as well as out of the way of the firemen. These are very numerous here, but their chief duty, is to pull down buildings to prevent the spread of the fire, as when once a buildiug has caught there is not the most remote chance of it being saved, for they have no fire engines larger than a good-aized garden enSine, and they bring the water in buckets aud throw it into adjoining houses to save them. These men muster in very large numbers from ali parts of the city, bearing the emblems or badge of tbeir district, and all are dressed in auch quaint and gay costume that a crowd with tbem intermixed looks quite, picturesque, es-

pecially when it is t-dded that almost "very one in the immense crowd carries a laniem; and scarcely two of these Oeiug a hke, they add considerably to tne whole appearar.ee.

AMERICAN I.IBECALITY TO EDDCAtion.—When Professor Tyndall was recoutiy lecturing in the United States he was solicited to give bia opiuions on the best means of promoting the diffusion of higher education amongst nil classes ; and especially of scientific culture. Go embodied his views in a paper addressed to the Commissioner of Education, full of most valuable suggestions and wise counsels, applicable to all democratic communities. "Your most difficult problem," he says to the American people, " will be not to build institutions, but to make men ; not lo form the body, but to find the spiritual embers which shall kindle within that body a living soul/ And that there prevails amongst the better classes in American society a strong disposition to act upon thi. noble principle is evinced by the testimony of Professor Tyndall himself. He had found in that country, as he said, a willingness on the part of individuals to devote their fortunes to the service of the commonwealth iv tbe advancement of education such as could not be paralelled elsewhere. Tbe statement is fully borne 6ut by the numerous instances of princely generosity which American citizens have recently displayed in thia direction. During the year 1871. for example, the Hon. George Bancroft, the well-known historian, and at present Minister at Berlin, bestowed 10,000 dollars to endow a scholarship at Harvard University. Dr. Josoph Toner, of Washington, similarly bestowed 3000 dollars to found a medical lectureship in that city. Mr. Joseph Garth, ol Kentucky, gave 45,000 dollars to endow a professorship in a college in that State. These individual cases might be extended, but it will be batter perhaps to give a few total results. The private benefactions fo schools and colleges throughout the country amounted°in that single year to close upon ten millions of dollars, or about twomillons sterling ! This is the amount reported to tbe Bureau of Education for the year; but tbe Commissioner, in specifying' it, adds that beyond all these liberal gifts, there are doubtless uumer-

ous, aud, in some cases; large boile-l "'*■•-"' factions to education, individual nud 7 denominational, of which the officer .0-? ceived no specific information. Possibly, if everything wore capable of be- 7 ing ascertained, the amount just stated might be doubled, or even trebled. In fact, the lilnrality of the American people for the pt emotion of education seems to be practically unlimited.