, 1874-12-20
THE LATEST AGONY ON FIRES,

THE LATEST AGONY ON FIRES.
Chicago is just now agitated by contro-
versy which is somewhat peculiar. Chicago
has suffered largely by fire; not only hos she
suffered III the way OF actual loss OF property
and interruption of business, but, ever since
the great fire, has paid heavily in the way of
increased rates Of insurance caused by her
liability to fire.
It is hardly necessary to recall why the fire
of 1871 was SO destructive, or why the FIRE
Of July, 1874, made such progress. The
explanation was very simple. A long
drought, intense heat, whole blocks aud
square miles OF wooden buildings, including
stores, dwellings, planing-uills and wagon
shops; still more blocks Of brick
and stone- buildings, filled in literally
with pine wooden barns, pine carpenter
shops, pine buildings of every kind; every
building, pine, brick, or stone, covered with
pine shingle, or tar, or board roof; every
large building trimmed with heavy pine
eornice,-a1l prepared, as if designedly, as
fuel for any conaagration that might offer.
From the fire we refused to learn anything
It is true that two hundred millions of dol
lars, supposed to have been secured by in
surancc, perished in 10 night and morning
but the average faith in the remedial powers
Of insurance survived. We suppose full in
surance against fire was more universal in
Chicago than in any other city in the world.
This wns due largely to the unscrupulous
character Of many of the insurance compa-
mir 4trs,rv %r,
1871 (and it may be SO yeti for an insurance
company to issue policy for 81 900 on q
tenement which cost not over 5000, and in
trinsically not worth $3.50. In all these cases
the insured honestly believed that in case Of
the destruction of the building he would get
the amount of the policy. In this way every
cow-shed and clubhouse in every part Of the
city was insured, and the owners were edu-
Gated up to the belief that fire would al
ways be profitable.
In other parts Of the city, where buildings
were better, stocks Of goods large, and risks
heavy, and where the law of insurance was
understood, there was d clamor for more
water, larger pipes, more dre-plugs, steam
engines, and hose, and an enlarged Fire
Department. Now, in 1874, we have precisely
the same struggle going on. In all the region
where the buildings are inaammable, the
tenements thickly peopled, the streets narrow
and unimproyed where the planning mills
and manufactures Of wooden wares abound;
where the buildings are SO many tinder-bo1es
and will burn accordingly where the insur-
ance, such as it is, exceeds the value Of the
property to be destroyed, there is IN indifrer-
ence to any enlarged or special expenditures
for protection against fire. All this property
is for sale to the insurance companies at the
prices which it is assumed the insurance COM
panies have offered to pay for it. In the
other districts, where the buildings are costly,
and the stocks Of merchandise large, and
the insurance aggregates heavy ta1, there is
demand for low insurance by having fire.
engine for every block, an immense Fire Dc
partment costing two millions Of dollars, and
generally force equal to trampling out fire
whenever one occurs. These people want to
transfer the cost Of their insurance to the
general taxpayers; making every tenth man
policeman, fireman, pntrolman, watchman,
or telegraph-operator. They want the means
Of extinguishing q fire made so seemingly
efectual that the rates Of insurance will be-
come nominal.
The great mistake OF both classes is that
both depend On unnatural agencies. Suppose
there were no such thing Us insurance, md no
such agencies as paid Fire Department with
steam pumps, what would be tho natural
policy Of any reasonable man? Would
he expose q valuable building con-
tanning a costly stock OF goods to
the danger Of fire from without, by having
pine shingle or tar roof, when, at COM
paratively small cost, he could have an unin-
flnln1aable one? Would he expose that build
ing to fire from without BY openings in tho
outer walls, on alleys, and on narrow streets,
when at q cost of afew dollars he could procure
iron shutters for each of said openings +?
Would he leave his building in danger from q
tire IN the adjoining one, when at IN almost
triding cost he could carry his walls 8 feet
above tho roof, when at o cost less than
one months extra insurance he could substi-
tute for the small lumber-yard which he has
on the top Of his building, and calls
Manserd roof, other mnterial, in no
way intiammab1e, and capable of resisting
hent and flame +? Would ho not instantly re-
sort to these natural means of defense 4?
Would he not, before using, have all the
hues III the building examined? Would henot
take care that the joists vero protected from
contact with fire 2 Would he not have his