The Appalling Disaster at Ningpo.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6900, 12 February 1894, Page 4

The Appalling Disaster at Ningpo.

The Eastern and Australian line steamer Airlie, from Japanese and Chinese ports, which has arrived ab Sydney, brings lengthy reports of the fatal fire that occurred at Ningpo last month, and previously briefly reported by cable. One account says : — The Kiangteen brought news that an appalling accident had occurred at Ningpo, resultin the death of between 200 and 300 women and children. It appears that the annual theatrical performance of the Ist of the 11th moon in honor of the gods was being given in a temple on the Settlement, and was attended by upwards of 400 peopl?. As most people in China know, there is frequently a permanent stage in the court-yard of large Chinese temples. It is situated between the temple aud the gate, while the audience, when there is a representation, is between the temple and the stage. The temple at Ningpo, where the accident happened, was called the Zau-tflu-ching-miao, a two-storied building, and both stories were monopolised by women and children to witness the performance. The people were enjoying themselves generally, smoking, eating, chatting, and drinking tea. Among the crowd was a boy who was smoking a cigarette, which he threw away in a heap of straw at the foot of the stair-case leading to the upper story of the temple. The straw quickly blazed up, and, burning the stair-case, prevented the people getting out. Of course there was a general rush to escape ; some were trampled to death, others jumped out of the windows, and were either killed or so badly injured that they were unable to escape the fUines. and so perished, while others passively awaited their fate, which was not long in overtaking them, and they were roasted alive or suffocated by the smoke.