No. 427.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts.
Tokei, December 30, 1879. (Received January 27, 1880.)
Sir: I regret to say that on the 26th instant there occurred in this city a most destructive lire with great loss of property, over 10,000 houses having been consumed, and large quantities of goods.
More than 50,000 people were rendered houseless. Many persons were greatly injured, and quite a number of lives were lost. The legation made a very narrow escape, and for a time was saved by the great exertions of the firemen and police of the capital, but was only finally saved from destruction because of the fact that the course of the wind, which was blowing a gale, suddenly changed and carried away from the legation buildings the flames of the burning city. The danger of the immediate destruction of the legation buildings was so great that it was deemed necessary to remove the legation archives and also the legation library, which was most carefully done with the assistance of good friends.
Among the many friends who lent assistance to me in providing safety for my family and in saving the property of the legation were the minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Inouye, the vice-minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Enomoto, his excellency Mr. Eisendecker, the German minister, and also his excellency Mr. Struve, the Russian minister. His excellency Mr. Iwakura sent his most trusted servants to guard the archives of the legation, as did also others of His Majesty’s ministers.
The archives of the legation were all brought back in good order on the evening of the same day, having been under cover in my carriage in the street until the danger was passed.
This is the second time within three years that our legation here and all the government property has been exposed to imminent danger from fire. It does seem to me that it would be a wise economy if Congress would appropriate $25,000 for the construction and furnishing of United States legation buildings in this city on the grounds offered to our government as a gift by His Majesty’s Government, and on which the legation buildings would be so isolated and so constructed as to secure them against the fires so frequent and so destructive in Tokei.
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I have, &c.,