The World In Fire Alarms

Fire prevention, as an essential factor of city's development, safeguards and maintains city's progress. After the mid 19th century, western imperialist powers began to invade China who was gradually deprived of her own national sovereignty due to the fragility herself. Concession came into prominence as a form of losing sovereignty. Scholars have spared substantial attention to the political influence of concessions, but neglected the internal development in concession communities, including the fire prevention conditions in concessions. Thus, this thesis studies and analyzes the development of fire prevention in Shanghai International Settlement in late Ch'ing according to Minutes of Directorate of Labor Ministry, ShenBao, ShanghaiXinBao and other original materials and tries to recapture the conditions of fire prevention in Shanghai International Settlement in late Ch'ing, based on which the thesis briefly elaborates on the conflicts and clashes in the development of fire prevention and their influences on Chinese community.Chapter 1 expands on the reasons for the development of fire prevention in Shanghai International Settlement and the initial development of fire prevention. Wartime chaos in Chinese society in the mid 19th century breaks the segregation of Chinese and foreigners, and shapes the situation that Chinese and foreigners live in mixed communities. The growth in the population and the decline of the house quality have increased the likelihood of fire accident, which constitutes the immediate reason for fire prevention. The situation that Chinese and foreigners live in mixed communities has brought about long-term prosperity, which constitutes the primary reason for fire prevention. The early development centers on founding fire prevention departments, such as Fire Brigade and Fire Commission. These organs equip the concession of fire preventive abilities and lay a solid foundation for the large scale fire prevention construction later on.Chapter 2 centers on the large-scale construction of fire prevention from 1870s to 1890s. The large-scale construction, including building fire-fighting groundwork facilities (such as alarming signal and water equipment), undertaking fire prevention jobs and coordinating with other municipal departments, equips the concessions with a...