Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-11-04
tention q every individual, Who has any

nousc.kcSpcrS, StoFS-kSSps'SS dHo y
theirs, whether it might not be well for
them, and conduee most to the general
interest, if they would compel their SER
want. carefully to extinguish every spark
Of Are which may remain in ashes, which
are taken cut Of their chimney's, previ-
ou.ly to their setting them a"ay-and
if they must be saved, whether they are
not worth the expence OF brick recep.
tacie, which would not cost much, and
occupy but little space.
1t is matter of surprise that this cir.
cumstance should have been overlooked,
or neglected, by Council, when they
passed their law " for the prevention OF
fire, &c" They have rendered penal'
circumstances infinitely less dangerous
to property, whether considered in their
irndency or frequency--and nothing less
than . severe penalty will Ii /. feared,
remove. entirely the ev,l complained
Of A prccepl OF command . SER
want is ~, sufficient 10 induce obedience
after positive repeateo prohibitions,
my servants continue occasionally 10 put
by not ashes--a lev nights since, Just
before | went 70 bed, ! fouad FIRE in ash
es, ~hich had been pat away, the pre-
eedins morning, into cask In contact
with the side Of wooden building, COM
municatipg with 'ange of frame houses,
in N important part of the town The
ask was situated behind The house, out
ot view from the street, and might there
fore land possibly would, but for the
timely discovery have developed il in
flames before it would have been noticed
by the Watchmcn or alarmed Nv family.
This solitary casa is mentioned merely to
shew the insuffiCiency of commands.
without an attention. to their execution
Were Council to prohibit the saving OF
ashes, or prescribe the manner in which
only thev should be saved, and subject
10 a penalty tho house keepers, and 20
punlShment, or pcrnaltv, others, who
should be guilty Of violating their pre-
scriprnn-wouid ii be less important
or cpnducc less 10 the welfare of our
Town, thai the law pre- scr!bing the man
ncr in which stoves shal! be erected. SC!
The question is proposed with defer,
| ence.-Asrther source Of danger, less
{ BE dreaded indeed, because more pb-
pious, and therefore better attended to)
exists IN the custom Of firing Chimneys :.
"a danger which will be- greatly IN
creases, the ensuing winter, In conse
qucuce OF the increase OF wood Fires.
which form SCOT in larger quantities, and
OF more inhamabe nature Than coal
In Washington (the population Of which
j. less than ours, & the houses scatter
ed over much greater space of ground)
Chimney Swcepers are encouraged by
law 1t is frequent subject Of en-
quirv, why there are none here If self
interest will not induce our citizens 10
burn their eAimnies in net weather, ii
| Is to be regretted tbot the police does
| not punish them for letting them Jake
| fire In dry wcathcr.-It is seldom, espe-
| cial.y during the winter season, that we
have a continuance of dry weather for
more than q nonth--it is believed few
chimncys would collect 500. enoup h to
be dangerous in less than two months.
To pursue further an enquiry into the
comparative risk between wood and coal
or TO notice various other causes ON
whic Danger to be apprehchded. are
lorelsp from the object of the author,
and would be too great an Intrusion up
On the columns IF this Gazclte In Of
fering the foregoing hints-puoic ad.
vantage has been my object with ut any
desire to reflect Oh the general car. fu
habits Of my fellow townsmen. Our Pc
lice considered either in it, system or
operation is exc, llent-and in the atten.
ton which is paid to itsrequisitoss, ex
ceiled by none in the country But no
police can be Of universal application
& peculiar Instances Of negligence may
be found amongst people, otherzSise ha
6Nualy CAREFUL snd instances here, OF
persons who have rs claim to this dis