St. Paul daily globe., 1886-03-06
AN INsIDIOUs DANGER.
Defective Gas Fitting as a Source OF
Destructive Fires.

Destructive Fires.
To the Editor of the Globe:
. The late disastrous fire in the Mann
heimer establishment should be q serious
warning to the citizens of ST. Paul, many
of whom are unconsciOusly living, working
and sleeping in the presence of the same
dangerous enemy. 1t is generally under
stood that the cause of the fire was an ex-
plosion OF Illuminating gas These gas ex-
plOsions are OF common occurrence andnO-
where that know of is1othere as much
cause for fear in this direetioai as inst.
Paul, where it Is continually being added
10 by the willful criminal cupidity of some
OF your fellow citizens. All who have COM
mented on the late fire point to the necessity
of hre-prOof walls. iron doors, shutters, etc.
These are but retarding remedies in case of
ire and should be adopted, but why not
look a little further and see how the cause
OF such ties may be wholly avoided or
brought within the narrOwest circle. Now
how can you expect ignorant boys to do the
work or trained men; yet il is by such boys
most of your eas-ftting has been and Is now
being done in ST. Paul. 1t Is done by un-
principled employers in the plumbing and
steam-ttting business. for you have
not got one gas-titter in business in the city
of st. Paul, and all jOurneymen plumbers
as rule hate TO handle gas pipe, yet are com
PEELED sometimes to do so by the bosses
dctatiOn when boys are not available. Yet
the blame extends further than the bosses;
il must lay heavy hand on architects
! and inspectors, who negligently (perhaps
this Is using to soft wOrd) pass bad work
when they are the only protection the people
have. When the citizens of st. Paul have
read this communication they will be more
culpable If they do not in future insist that
all architects or others who have the
J letting of contracts for buildings.
either new or old. do not exclude boys
and specify that men only shall be EN-
ployed in their gas-ftting. This you will
see at glance is true economy. In the
future send the boys back to their boss and
have him send mechanic. Look at your
bills and see If you are not always charged
mems pay for those boys, and often
plumbers charges for gas-titting. yet there
Is considerable difference in the two. Boys
receive as current prices in the plumbing
trade SO or 81 week, and you often pay
S6 day for their visits. A few weeks age
boy employed in plumbing store
i'm this city was cursed and abused because
he told his boss that he could not do the gas
fitting he had been sent to do, as he had
never learned the business nor had he
worked at it at all, and of this the boss was
aware yet in the face of this he forced
that boy to go and do the work, which i:
on one of your leading thoroughfares, &
valuable property occupied by tenants, who
are unconscious of the danger surrounding
them and their property. This can prove
if called on and show old and split gas pip'
patched up with cement, that is liable t.
split off at any moment by the set
Ting of the building or jarring. i
is time some radical measures were EN-
ployed where such danger is extending.
wish to call the attention of the chamber o
commerce, and more particularly the insur
ance companies, to this matter. The!
should take immediate and effective action
for delays are dangerous. VERIrAs.
ST. Paul, March 2.