73 



the origin of fire to the tavtliest point in the biirnt district, and tlie length is 

 measured by an ordinary scale on a good map of Toldo published by the 

 Surveying Bureau of the Interior Dept., a process sufficiently accurate for this 

 kind of work. I have obtained the direction of lires by measuring with a 

 l>rotractor the inclinations of straight lines to eight points of tlie compass ; when the 

 lines fall lictween two points, I take the nearest as the directions of the lines, 

 and consequently the direction of fires. Table A gives in the first column the 

 number, in the second the date.f in the third column, the directions measiued as 

 stated above, and the last column contains the magnitudes. In tlie accompany- 

 ing map of Tokio, the straight lines used to determine the directions, and 

 magnitudes are plotted, a number is attached to each so that it may be refeiTed 

 to Table A. A glance on the map will show to any one, that the greater 

 inuulK^r of fires travel from the directions X and NW; in f:\ct two-thirds of the 

 lires are from these two directions. Another point noticeable in the map is, that 

 the lines seem to converge to the soutli-cast corner of the city which is a neces- 

 sary consequence of the local arrangement of the city together with the N and 

 N\V winds. Near the point, where the five No. 17 begins, the moat is crossed 

 l)y a bridge continuing the main street running from north to soutJi. Tliis 

 bridge is called Nihonbashi, the "Japan bridge", whence all distances in the 

 empire are taken. The region near the iSilionbashi, especially the part to the 

 nortli of tlie bridge, is the most populous portion of the city and most frequently 

 visited by fires, as is seen by the number of lines crossing each oth(>r in this 

 district. Tlie longest line in the map is No. 5(1, and by referring to Table A, we 

 see (hat its length is 133 clio or abmit nine miles: this is perhaps the longest fire 

 in the record. It occurred on April 1st 1772; the day was extremely windy, 

 and at about r.oon, a fire originated in a teni]ilo in the soutli western limit of the 

 city. It spread so rapidly that in less than 24 bonis, it reached the northern 

 limit of the city. While the fire was still raging, the wind shifted to W, and 

 all that {»art of the city included iietween the river and the straight line in the niaji 

 was almost entirely destroyed. Tlie following may be regarded as the si.K most 

 extensive fires that liave raged in the city since its foundation; Nos. 1, 2 and 3 

 forming one group, Nos. G, 7, 8 and forming aiujther, No. If), No. 42, No. Hfi 

 and No. G9. In the first two instances, lires of considerable extent occur- 

 ring very near to each other in time, they have l«en grouped together and 

 regardwl as one fire, although they are, in fact, entirely independent. In each 

 of these, more than two-thirds of the city wivs biirneil. Tiie first group is justly 

 regarded ius the most extensive. On March 2nd l(;r)7, at about 2 P.M. a fire oc- 

 currc<l in the north-west pirt of the city. The velocity of the wind wa« enormous ; 



• Till! iiia^nitiule.i of firoH arc l^oiit iiicnxiin'«! 1>J' tlio iireim of luirnl dixtru-t ; Imt not liiiviii); 

 niinieii'nl ilnt» fiiiilii-r, I linvi- Inkcn llii- I(MI);|Ii n.« n iiu-a.xiirc. 



t Months nml (Inyn nrf roiluceil from luiinr pnii-inlnr to Kolnr uulriidar for obviou.'s ri'iison». 



