On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 22:39:27 GMT, "Sryn" <sryn@yahoo.DELETETHIS.com>
brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:

>Quote from http://japaninc.typepad.com/terries_take/ General Edition Sunday, 
>April 24, 2005 Issue No. 324
>
>"
>Firefighting in Tokyo is a time honored (although not
>necessarily honorable) profession. Back 200 to 300 years
>ago, most of the houses were made of straw and paper and
>an official document from 1738 says that there were 11,000
>registered Hikeshi (fire fighters). Increasing population
>meant even greater demand for their services, and by 1850
>there were 24,000. The way they fought fires was to tear
>down nearby houses to isolate the blaze, then to douse the
>flames -- so these guys were pretty tough. Apparently they
>were pretty rough too, and often picked fights with the
>local Samurai...! You can read more about them at
>http://www.artelino.com/articles/edo_firemen.asp.
>"
>
>The linked article is funny too.

Look at fire fighting as conducted by Marcus Licinius Crassus in
ancient Rome if you really want a shock.





--

Michael Cash

"Clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right, Mr. Cash.
Clowns and jokers."

                                Prof. Ernest T. Bass
                                Mount Pilot College