Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-11
Tho Fires Of 1879.

During the past five years, according
to the figures collected by the Insurance
Chronicle, $353, ,0l6, ,265 worth OF property
has been destroyed by fire in the United
States. In 1875 he,loss. was $7S, lO2, oS5,
in 1876 S64 ,630, 900, in 1877 $8S, ,265, 800,
In 1878 $64, 3l5, 900, and in 1879 $77, 1O3,
200. The last year, IL will be seen, was
unlucky and only S4OO 600 better than
1875, although in 1876 Virginia City,
New, was visited by blaze which
swept way over $4,000, 900 worth OF
propert v. The losses to insurance COM
panies last year were in excess of the
losses OF any of the four previous years.
These losses amounted in 1875 TO $780,
325, 400, in 1876 to 1874, ,374, 500, in 1877 to
S39, ,39s, 300, in 1878 to S36, ,5T5, 900, and in
1879 to S44, ,464,700. During the five
years there were $3.50 fires. Poorly
constructed buildings, carelessness on
the part OF occupants and incendiarism
are the principal causes of fires.
Among the several States New York
leads in the figures. In 1870 her loss was
l4.O90, 900, in 1877 $ll,4 ,456, 400, in 1873
S9,397 900, and in 1879 $l5,793, 200.
Pennsylvania comes next with a total
loss in the four years of S2S, 1913, 500.
Massachusetts, lost 800. 1901 800; Illinois
Sl4 ,432, 200.
VI agricultural implements factories
33 were burned last year. 10 almshouses,
80 bakeries, l3 butcher shops. 30 billiard
saloons, Ill blacksmith shops, l3 book
binderies, Is box factories. 10 breweries,
lO3 carpenter shons, l04 carriage facto-
rics, 90 cheese factories, l3 chemical
works, 80 churches (of churches SO were
burned in 1873, 81 in 1877, GO in 1876 and
n in 1879, o theaters, 25 cigar factories,
10 coffin factories, IL college buildings.
IL coal yards, 40 coniectioneries. 80
cooper shops. 26 cotton mills, l3 cotton
warehouses, l3 court houses, IL distil-
leries, 223 drug stores (of drug stores, in
the five years beginning with 1875. were
burned respectively Iii, l45, 100, l9l
and 223), 20 drying houses, III dye works,
Ia engine houses. l3 express offices, 81
fancy goods stores, IS feed stores, 10
houring mills (a great increase over for
mer years), SO furniture factories, 1853
cotton-gin houses, 10 glass factories, so
grain elevators. "a grain warehouses, 10
greenhouses. II grist mills, 47O retail
and III wholesale country grocery stores,
81 harness factories, l3 hat factories, 3s4
hotels, 22f liquor stores, 10 beer saloons,
l3 spoke factories, 81 ice houses, 20 iron
foundries, 10 jaiIs, l3 junk stores. le
laundries mot one owned by China.
mani, 65 lumber yards, 40 machine
shops, III mattress factories. As meat FAC
tories AZ newspaper offices ian average
number), "a oil refneries, IL oil tanks,
10 paint shops, 90 paper mills, IS rag
shops, l2paste factories, SIS Photographic
galleries, l3 picture frame factories, Sc
planning. mills, 81 pork packing houses
IL powder mills, 81 printing offices, -
public halls, 81 railroad depots, % rail-
road repair shops, IL railroad stables,
2lS saw mills. 80 shingle mills. % sash
factories. l69 restaurants, So school
houses, 20 slaughter houses, as shoe fac
tories, l3 shoddy mills, l6 smoke houses,
% stave factories, no stone yards, 10 SUI
gar reiineries, 46 tanneries, 10 steam
boats, % tobacco factories, 81 tobacco
barns, "a tinsmithies, IL wheelwright
shops, 10 wood-turning shops, and 30
woolen mills.