Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-25
FIRES AND THEIR PREVENTION.


on fires in European and American cities, by
Mr.. Wilson King, United States consul OF
Birmingham, is printed in ,hc monthly issue
of consular reports by the State Department.
From this it appears that during the year 1882
Birmingham, which has population of
nearly 100000 souls, hal ISL fires, the total
damage occs.ioled by which was only o
trlfe less than 500, 900 but ore-tEird greater
than that suffered last year in our own city
of Burlington with $4,000 inhabitants.
| As to It's protective facilities, Birmingham
docs no, begin 10 compare with Burlington.
Birmingham has only nine fire stations, but
one steam fire engine and four fife engines
reliance for the rest part being placed, as
here, on the hydrauts. Burlington has six
active companies, located in different parts
of the city, hook aud ladder company, and
an aggregate Of 26S flremen on the active
| list, or about one in ten of the whole adult
male population Of the city. And yet, with
a frs! class fire department and every posi-
bic facility for fighting the flames, our an.
nua loss by fire is, by comparison, enorm-
ously greater than that of Birmingham =
and what Is true OF Birmingham is true of
other cities in England and on the continent.
The reasons tor this discreditable result of
the comparison are simple. They build more
solidly and carefully abroad than we do. In
this country roofs made of shngle or OF some
composition made of tar are very largely
used. In Birmingham as well as in many
other foreign cities the use of such material
is forbidden by law, ami the law is strictly
enforced and to show that the idea is 40
new one, it may be said that in Bremen a
law aga inst ipfammable roofing was enacted
| in the sixteenth century and has been rigidly
enforced ever since. Then, again. il is the
general custom abroad to separate houses
by thick flrc-walls, extending above the roofs
a precaution OF the utmost useful
ness in combining fire TO the premises
| Ia which 1t originates And finally,
| besidcs the lack Of these and other precau-
| tions In building, which Can be and ought tc
| be required by law, one vi tie Leading cans
CO Of the vast and dsprOportionate number
| of free in this country liz, Internationally
| over-insurance At = recent meeting of the
National Board of Fire Underwriters the re-
ports submitted showed that the fire insurance
business in the United States is steadily
growing more hazardous. At prevailing rates
the margin of profit is perilously small, II 70,
entirely wiped ont by the losses. During
the year the capital of American companies
has decreased s2,493,57a, the diyidends
$312, 700, the premiums have increased ST.
O50, 1856, and the losses Sl,S92,l42. Foreign
companies show an increase Of $5,770 702 in
premiums. with an increase of loss Of ~, ST..
400.
These hgures are by no means reassuring,
but they ought to Lead to ney and better
methods The insurance men seem 10 think
that there is too much unwise and unprotlta.
BILE competition, But it is difficult to see
how such competition can be prevented. Nat
urally each company wants oil the business
It can get, and Of course It according
ly sells insurance at the lowest possible
rate and it Is as idle to talk Of attempting
to remove competition in the insurance bust
ness as in any business. But what the COM
panes can do, is, either with or without the
cooperation Of legislatures snd municipal
authorities, to compel the erection of sub.
stantial and well.protected houses by refus-
ing to put premium on the construction OF
Undertakes This Is real tangible method
of reform 10 this important matter. Were 1t
to be generally adopted by the underwriters
it would result in an immense saving of
property, in the aalvation Of human life, and
the vastly Increased beauty AID attractive
ness Of our cities aud towns.