The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-13
COSTLY CARELESsNEss.

1t is singular that people will continue
year after year to manifest the utmost care
lessncss about matters Of the grayest i'm
port, and TO which their attention i,
directed daily by the most prominent and
| startling facts. There is no matter that
| daily claims as much attention or space IN
the Geographic columns of the press OF tht
| country, rs the occurrence OF fires. In our
own paper morning after morning II is stu
gular il an account is not published of az
least hall-do2en prominent aud costly
conIlagrations throughout the country. II
Is estimated that the total value of the
property destroyed by fire in the United
States last year was S000O0,OO0, and that
some 800 100000 worth OF property has
been destroyed during the past ten wears.
buJ lew people would imagine that
30 much loss was entaled annually
from fire, and yet the fact is
sustained by indisputablo figures and
records. 1t is II sum that would more than
pay the interest on the public debt, sum
greater than the total valuation of property
both real and personal, in many OF the
states, and sum, too, that thrown away in
any other manner would bring ailluence to
thousands. But lost in lire the destruction
is complete, the property becomes ashes.
There is no distribution through the com.
munity as in the purchase OF Injuries and
the qualification of the senses is the case,
but 1t is an absolute taking away of 500
0OOOOo in one year from the capital and re.
sources OF the country. And to add to the
immensely of the loss is the fact that thou.
sands of lives are lost, directly or
Indirectly, through these connagra-
tions. 1t is time tho peo.
pie were paying more attention to the mat
ter, and striving more earnestly to stop n
leak that is losing the country nearly a
billion dollars worth OF property, reducing
That much money actually to ashes in a
decade nearly. There can be no doubt
'hat nine fires out OF ten are the result of
pure carecssness in the construction or
care OF houses, and it is possible to remedy
such faults il public attention will only
permit itself to DO turned to the importance
oil the subject matter. The IRE ordinances
IN the various cities, both large and small
should be comprehensive and rigidly en-
forced, and the fire departments should be
always matter of earnest solctude on the
part of tho public. There is very little care
or interest manifested by the people al
large IN such matters, but they are of the
most vital import, and the council should
look after them religio usly if the populac,
at large do not. More care bestowed upon
such matter by municipal authorities ey.
erywhere would do much to stop the losses
referred to, but the chief responsibility
rests with the inmates OF the domestic ci,
cles Of the country. II would be worth
millions Of money to the public and pre.
won't many sad private wreck Il the pub.
lie would remem Der how much is annually
lost by their carelessness and how grea,
aud widespread is the ruin il produces
Where gross public carelessness throws
away Slc0,00o,oo0 annually in any other
Imaginable way the public is at once all in.
lerest In the matter, and sets about TO cor.
rect the waste, but nobody seems to have
turned THAR attention to this tremendous
annual destruction of fire with view Ia
iessoning or preventing the losses.