Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-12-10
Losses by Fire.


The statistics of losses by fire in tn,
United States show that for the nine months
ending with September over sixty-one mil
lion dollars worth of property was burned
up. These are suggestive figures, and may
well set the insured and the insurers of the
country to thinking. Is there any reason in
the nature of things why the loss from this
source should be so enormous
An exchange imagines that the trouble
arises from three causes, and goes on To
specify; "Poor engines, poor fire depart
ments and poor fire regulations. OF course
steam fire engines and paid firemen are the
rule nowadays. But there are hundreds of
villages and small towns which still rely
only or chiefly upon hand engines and vol
untary departments. An old-fashoned hand
engine is poor enough protection against
fire even when well hasded. But hand
engine manned by amateur iremen is con-
siderably worse, and really is vain thing to
rely upon. The other trouble is the want of
general stringent regulations concerning the
erection of wooden buildings. In some Sec
tions of the country there are no regulations
at all, or such as exist are not enforced. 1t
does not cost very much more to make a
building comparatively freproof than it does
to erect it so that it is in danger from every
spark that is blown upon it."
This is all very well, and very true per-
haps, as far as it goes but these specifca-
tions apply only to villages, while most of
our Vermont fires occur outside of village
limits, aud beyond the reach of engines of
any sort. What, then, is the cause of so
many fires among our dwelling houses and
farm buildings in the rural districts
Observation convinces us that one most
fruitful source of fires is to be found in
defective chimneys. In a very large proper
ton of losses on this class of buildings the
fire is stated to have originated about the
chimney" in the chamber or attic or on the
roof. The chimney is either carried so
slightly above the roof, or taken through so
far down on the side as to leave the top
either on level with or actually below the
ridge, that the shingled roof, especially if
old and dry, is in constant danger of catching
fire by sparks from the chimney. And then
common method of building chimneys is to
carry them no lower than the attic, where
they rest on planks OF josts spiked to the
rafters. Certainly no better fire-trap could
be contrived. Being so far out of reach, they
are seldom or never examined the SCOT is
left to collect, and in due time to burn and |
shoulder for an indefinite time, creating a |
most intense heat, searching out all the |
existing defects, and often creating breath
ing hole where none existed before, Would |
the occupant of every dwelling examine his
chimney carefully once year, either clear
ing or burning it out not only would a
multitude of fires be saved, but in an aston
ishingly large proportion of instances would
he be surprised that fire had not happened
before. And we think such an examination
ought to be required of every householder
as condition of insurance.
Further, the repeated cases of wholesale
incendiarism which are occasionally coming
to light, as well as the multiplied instances
OF confession through the promptings of
"quickened conscience" force the convic-
tion upon us that, could the secret history
of all our fires be told, it would constitute
startling record The mysterious fires are
far too numerous; and as rule they hap
pen where the property is heavily encum.
bered with debt, unproductive or situated
cat the end of the road" and the most
promising purchaser to be found is the in
surance company. We know of no remedy
for this evil, unless the conscience can be
quickened before the fire, or the insurance
companies resolve to give this class of prop.
erty wide berth, or times so far improve
as to make it more valuable to keep or sell
to others than the underwriters.