Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-29
IANoAsfn. PA, November 20. 1859.
N Iesssas OF the Fires.


tngesher In time and place as those at
Lynn and Boston are very remarkable
events even In a country 40 used as 10
,cuf own to hear daily of the devastation
~ property by fire. The Lynn disaster
IN Itself was not surprising, as the town
i not built with any idea Of being
dfeproof. II had, however, good
lre service and had the expert
ence Of many prior burnings to prepare
it TO battle with the destroyer. The con-
Migration In Boston was remarkable
for Ito occurrence upon the site of the
great fire Of years ago, in the midst Of
the best built business portion Of the
city, and where 1t may be supposed that
great attention had been given to maxi
ing the buildings fire-proof. 1t Is further
10 be noted that the disaster came from
the electric wire carried into the build
ings for lighting purposes and that
the initial fire occurred in warehouse
stored with inflammable goods. The
windstorm that prevailed at the time
had tangled the street wires, and the
fre Is said to have resulted therefrom.
This, perhaps, is largely supposition |;
and II is not explained how the crossing
Of the wires on the street affected the
wires In the building. The idea con-
vcyed is that q charge Of electricity was
thrown upon them which they could
not carry, and which, therefore, gener-
ated burning heat in escaping from
them.
That an excessive charge Of electricity
will cause q conducting wire to create n
confiagration is well known and the
Immediate warning of this Boston fire is
that wires possibly exposed to receiving
such charges Of electricity should not be
taken into buildings a warning which
will keep prudent persons from using
the electric light wires so long as they are
permitted to carry electric loads that may
l1any event become dangerous. Attention
will be aroused TO the declaration of Ed
ison that The only way to make au electric
wire cafe Is to forbid its being charged
with electricity beyond certain safe
amount !; just as steam boilers are for
hidden to be subjected to a pressure be-
yond their demonstrated safe capacity
The good sense of this suggestion was
obvious when II WINS lately made by Ed
ison, during the agitation in New
York caused by the deaths oc-
curing from the crossing of these
dangerous electric light wires with other
wires, of themselves innocent, suspended
from the same poles. This Boston fire
teaches that great loss of property as
well ~ life Is chargeable to overloaded
electric wires, and may have more effect
In securing protecting legislation than
the disasters to life would do, since it IL
notorious that money saving more than
life saving is q stimulant of protective
action. The insurance companies who
suffer so severely by this fire will be
eager in claiming the legislative ear and
may secure such provision as will pro.
tect our lives while saving their prop.
erty.
And a suggestion Of these fires Is
as to whether fire insurance IL an
unmixed benefit. The nation would
not endure 80 patiently it's enor.
NOUS fire losses, If they were the
losses Of the people and not Of those
whose business 1t In to suffer the losses
Without fires insurance companies could
not flourish and without insurance
companies fires would not be 40 preva
( lent.
The two institutions fatten on each
other. Occasionally great fires, such a.
theee latest ones, tend to disgust the
!. companies with the business but -ea
quest ionably they live upon conila
grations and 1t is not altogethe
clear that they are altogethe
good. They certainly encourage care
leasness in maintaining watchfulnes
and providing safeguards against fire
and they promote an incendiarism whicl
hazards the property of many il
the attempt to criminally secur
small insurance. Evidently ther
ID legislation needed to secure
from the dangers of insurance as well u
from those Of electric lighting; and tn
point to be looked at seemingly !
the possibility Of requiring create
vigilance upon the part of insuranc
agents In seeing that they do not laflor
opportunity to the criminally incline,
to profit by their insurance. This the
do now by granting excessive insurauc,
because of the greater commissions
gives them and by not watching the
risks, because Of the less trouble 1t give
them.
What the College Wants.