Mr. Van Valkenburgh to Mr. Seward
Sir: From the despatch of the consul, a copy of which he sent me, you will have been informed of the terrible conflagration which, on the 26th ultimo, destroyed a considerable portion of both the foreign and native settlements of Yokohama, (Kanagawa,) including our consulate, the custom-house, one bonded warehouse, and other public buildings. I enclose a printed report of the conflagration, from one of the local papers, which is substantially correct.
The foreign loss may be estimated at about 4,000,000 of Mexican dollars; that of the Japanese was much less, though I regret to say that several lives were lost amongst them, and that about 10,000 persons were rendered houseless on that day. The ground was hardly cool, however, when hundreds of them, with characteristic enterprise, were already engaged in putting up sheds, to enable them to resume their usual avocations.
It gives me much pleasure to state that the Gorogio, by the appointment of competent commissioners, promptly responded to the appeal to consider with the foreign representatives the measures to be adopted to prevent the recurrence of similar disasters; and at an early day I trust to be able to submit to you the result of our negotiation.
A still more disastrous conflagration, I regret to say, laid a portion of the city in ashes on the 15th instant, inflicting considerable loss on many of the adobe warehouses. Such as admirably withstood the fire at Yokohama, and which always contain the merchandise and valuables of the more industrious of the population, were destroyed. The loss, therefore, was very severe, and cannot now be estimated even by approximation with any degree of accuracy.
As far as ascertained, 138 persons were either killed or dangerously burned or wounded, and reported past recovery. On a printed report of the fire, issued immediately after the occurrence, a copy of which I transmit herewith, and which there is every reason to believe correct, it is estimated that if the houses destroyed stood in line, a street would be formed of 16 7/36 Japanese li, equal to about 40 English miles of houses in a single line.
The prolonged absence of the Tycoon and the Daimios from this capital, with their thousands of followers and retainers, naturally checked its commercial movements; and it will be interesting to watch the progress to be made in rebuilding the burned districts, as affording, in all probability, a better indication than the vague and unsatisfactory statements, by the higher officials, of the political prospects of Yedo, and those of the other cities—Kioto and Placca— where the Tycoon and his court are still temporarily residing.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.