Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-29
How to Prevent Fires.

we have never seen q complete set of
~ aei e or suggestions for the prevention
OF fires. There should be one to accom-
pany every fire insurance policy. 1t
ought to be in such form as to be posted
IN every house. so that each member of
'le household could see it daily.
AT the risk of not ever approaching
tne subject, we submit the following
rules. The leading causes of fires are
Aerosene Oil, matches and furnaces:
i. Always buy the best quality of
=. Never make asudden motion with
a lamp, either in lifting it or setting it
down.
8. Never place a lamp on the edge
OF a table or mantel.
4. Never fill a lamp after dark, ever
If you should have to go without a light.
.. See that the lamp wicks are al
ways clean and that they work freely in
the tube.
6. Never blow out a lamp from the
top.
Z. Never take a light to q closet where
there are clothes. If necessary to 90 to
the closet place the light at a distance.
8. Use candles just as much as posi-
bic in going about the house and in bed
rooms. They are cheaper. can't en-
plode, and for very many purposes are
just as good rs lamps.
8. Matches should always be kept in
stone or earthen jars, or in tin.
10. They should never be left where
rats or mice can get hold of them.
There is nothing moro to the taste of d
rat than phosphorus. They will eat it
if they can get at it. bunch of matches
is almost certain to be set on ire if a
rat gets at it.
H.. Have perfectly good safes in ev-
cry place where matches are to be used,
and never let q match be left on the
floor.
II. Never let a match 60 out of your
hand after lighting it until you are sure
the fire is out, and then it is better to
put it in a stove or an carthen dish.
IL. 1t is far better to use the safety
matches, which can only be lighted
upon the box which contains them.
IA. Have your furnaces examined
carefully in the fall and at least nee
during the winter, by a competent per-
son. All Of the pipes and tlues should
be carefully looked to.
Is. If there are any closets in the
house neal chimneys Or tlues, which
there ought not to be. put nothing of Il
combustible nature into them. Such
closets will soil silver and crack crock
cry and burn bedding. They form a
bad part of any house that contains
them.
16. Never leave any wood near .
furnace, range or stove to dry.
II. Have your stoves looked to fire.
quently, to see that there are no holes
for coal to drop out.
18. Never put any hot ashes or coal
in a wooden receptacle.
10. Be sure that there are no curtains
or shades that can be blown into a gas
light.
20. Never examine q gas meter after
dark.
Fires, of course, arise from other
causes than those we have stated.
Smokers burn up much valuable prop
erty which is not in the shape of cigars.
Bunches of oiled rags of the most in
animate nature in themselves still per-
form the most wonderful fcats in the
destruction Of property. Tramps, with
their old pipes, will creep into barns
and ~hay-mows, and servants will be
careless in thousands of ways, but il
every person who owns property will
give the subject attention, and see that
those around him are posted, and see
that reasonable rules are always obeyed,
many thousands of dollars could be
saved annually which are burned
out Of existence.-N Y. Independent.