The morning call., 1891-06-27
RISKY FUMIGATION.
A Health Inspector Starts Fires
in Nine Rooms.
He Places Sulphur in Plates, Lights 1t and
Closes the Insurance Companies
Pay for the Damage.

There Is one substantial citizen of San
francisco, and at least two local agents Of
insurance companies, who have, they con-
slider, large-sized grievance against the
city Board of Health. The wealthy citizen
has been put to the trouble of replacing the
carpets In all of the rooms ON the upper
hoor OF his house. and the insurance COM
panles have been obliged to meet $500
loss, and, in addition, are apprehensive that
the incident introduces a new element into
the ordinary run of fire hazards.
The story has a sad beginning. Some few
weeks back the child of the gentleman be-
fore referred to was taken sick with scarlet
fever, and in spite of every care and atten-
ton, succumDed to the disease. The Health
Office was. in accordance with the dlrec-
tons of the attending physician. notified of
the death and the nature OF the disease, and
requested to take the necessary steps to
funigate the house. The rest of the story
may be given in the words of the son-n-law
of the owner of the house, the latter gentle
man being absent with his wife in Europe.
SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE.
"An Inspector of the Health Office" said
he, called at the house early on Monday
morning. the 18th of June, and stated that
he had been sent to fumigate the house.
The time was not convenient, and lie said he
would return in the afternoon. He accord
ingly came back shortly before 8 O'Clock
and asked what rooms he should fumigdte.
We told him to fumgate whatever rooms he
thought necessary and he decided to fumi-
gate the whole OF the upper st0Ty-seven
bedrooms, bathroom and the hall. He
next asked us for some plates, and he was
supplied with some soup plates, the kind he
requested.
''He placed some sulphur in plate in each
OF the rooms, lit the sulphur, set the plates
down directly on the carpets, closed the
doors and told Us not TO reopen the rooms
for two hours and left the house. An hour
later two Of the servants, who had nursed
the sick child, and had since stayed in the
upper part of the house, called out to me
that there was strong smell of burning.
SERIOUS SITUATION.
" l went upstairs and opening the rooms
found that the plates had in every instance
cracked, the sulphur had scattered over the
floor and the carpets were on fire. We
stopped the further spread of the fire as
quickly as possible, but large patch had
been burned out of the center Of every one
OF the carpets. The house and furniture
WAS insured, aud the underwriters promptly
paid the loss"
One of the insurance men gave substan-
tally the same account, and added: :" 1t is
not SO much the $500 loss, for that is COM
pdIduVtly ITlHlnB, out the IacL tndt z IRE OF
the kind might lead to a widespread con-
fagratlOn; that is the serious side of the
matter. The Chicago fire started in the
kicking over of a lamp, and the fact that
the fire in this city spread no further is not
a fair index of the danger We intend to
notify the Health Office OF the risk incurred
by what seems to be their present method
of fumigating. | do not see why the plate
should not be set ON nOp-cOmbu>t ible sup
port and removed from the floor"
HIS USUAL CUSTOM.
The reporter then visited the Health or
fee and found 5. j. Davidson, the Health
Inspector, in whose district the house is. In
reply to questions Mr.. Davidson said: "YeS,
l fumigated that house, but have heard
nothing further about It, l asked them for
plates and simply lit sulphur on some of
them and mixture of black oxide of man
ganese and common salt. The substances
are always used. If the plates cracked they
must have been cracked already or had
flaws in them | have been two years in
the Health Office and have lit sulphur in
that way on plates and even on thin sau-
GERS, and there has never been an accident
before. 1t is no part of my duty to stay
and watch the fumigating process | have
any number Of places to get round to, and
should never be able to do my work if |
stayed in each house. The people who are
benefited by the fumgation, should, at
least, keep a watch themselves"