Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-28
4 College Of Instruction Tor The tx
tInguishm3nt Of Fire
UNDER Army DISCIPLINE.
4 Suggestion that al Fife departments
Should b, s,ml.Military In
Their Character.

,
| attention u tbs great Losses OF me ana
property caused 10y nfea Throughout
tho Uni,ui Slniet. The Hon. Edward
Atkinson recently stated That "the
IRE losses Of the present year nrc likely
10 reach .l51 100000. Tue n9si OF sut.
tanning Insurance companit5 cannot
TO lees than Si5,O0O,OOO. Tho cost u
| iiru departments cannot bo less than
5,OUO,OJ0." l am not aware Of any
statistics that give the numbet OF lives
Lost by fire, bur think that Thousands
VI lives sru probably lost annuity In
this manner.
1t seems TO mo that there must DO
remedies which, II rightly epplled,will
tend 20 largely decrease tins deatfue-
ton u life and property. Believing
this, / submit TO you sdggesIlOn-
which might, perhaps, " carried out,
prove beneficial ~ tbs entire cjm-
lnunity.
I suggest that In one or more bf the
large cities there be Batablished(n col
lcgs OF instruction having TOR w OH ect
tho teaching OF the mott scientific
methods for the prevention and ex'
t;nguishment Oi fires.
In such d college coutse Of instruc.
ton should DO devoiedJto that which
relates 10 the prevention OF nrcs, and
the best methods anu materialB VI COM
struotlon Of fireproof builulngs. Pnr.
ticulnr attention should DO given 10 the
study OF fire escapes and methods anu
appliances for removing perOns from
burning buildinge. Then the student
should be informed MS 10 the best up.
perAtus 10 be placed In buildings aud
used befOTothe engintearrive. Students
should DO taught tho chemistry VI ilrea
and now to scientifically fight conila.
grntiOus. Instruction should also he
given IN explosives and In the proper
methods OF blowing up buildings, aud
In every way students taught 50 that
they may be competent 10 serve as
heads OF fire departments, and instruct
Bubordinntes.
Such college should be conducted
under discipline similar TO West Point,
and all tire departments should DO
| Heini-milltary in their character. /
am Of the opinion that flremon ehOuld
be enlisted In the service for term OF
years In similar manner rs men are
enlisted In the army, and IN event OF
disability or death the city should pro.
vide pensions, IN Ike manner US PEN
sions are now granted by the govern
ment for military services.
Perhaps no city IL better adapted for
the location af such u college than the
city OF Notwithstanding rs Ia does
30 many large fires us object lessons;
but perhaps until such college is es-
tgblished and IL prepared 10 furnish
graduates, the army would supply the
best chiefs OF fire departments.
There are also men In civil life who
during the war had similar experiences
to thar OF officers In this regular army,
and have commanded large bodies VI
men In action; and It l. precisely those
qualities which make the efficient
soldier that make the successful FIRE.
man. In times Jf great oonflaVration,
courage, GOODNESS anu discipline are
essential, az well ms the habit Of think.
| ing ana acting quickly. All these
things are common military virtues,
and they should be utilized IN civil life,
Perhaps tho most striking example
| OF the value OF army training In civil
affairs is shown by the appointment Of
officers OF the regular army to take
charge Of the buildings aud grounds OF
the world's Columbian Exposition.
These army officers knowinotl,ing and
care nothing OF the politic5 or "pull"
OF applicants who desire to serve In
the guard. IL 10 simply q question OF n
mans abilities and efficiency, and the
men appointed are taught, Ms regular
soldiers are taught, obedience and
fidelity TO duty.
II may be pertinent to say In this
connection that foreign exhibitors
were unwilling r. send their costly
products until they received the M.
surance that the guard would be ell.
cient and would DO commanded by
officers Of the army.
1t would be advantageous II tho
Senate were 10 pass resolution en-
powering the secretary Of war TO de.
tail to any OF the large cities OF the
United States, an rrmy officer quail
fed TO take charge Of the lire depart
ments, on the same principle that
army officers are now detailed as In
siructors in colleges.
Hon. Edward Atkinson, at a recent
hearing before the Boston city council
committee, stated that tho total fire
tax upon the people annually was, ap-
proximately, $3.50, 900. This is the
estimated amount lost by farmers an.
nually by bad roads. was impressed
by the figures, because at the twelfth
annual session OF the National Farm.
ers' congress, hold In Lincoln, Neb.,
November 1924, 1902, the Hon. John
NJ. Stahl, In paper on Highway
Transportation stated that economical
road Improvement would save $3.50.
100000 per year In the transportation
of farm DrOuugtH alone.
In conclusion let me add that two OF
the greatest economic questions now
before this people Of the United States,
are highway betteTment and the pre-
vention OF destructive c1nilagratlons.
/ have taken the liberty OF address.
ing you because believe the subject
to be one OF great Importance to you
as II is OF interest to the entire business
community. Looking al the, matter OF
fire loss from an insurance point OF
view only, 1t is evident that every life
lost and every dollar lost by I'VE may
add 20 the burden Of inst rance
companies and 10 the injured.
Accepting this statement as log ideally
true, will you not endeavor TO bring
about the needed reforms? You can
do much by agitating this matter In the
daily newspapers aud perhaps II you
were to forward TO the editor OF some
good paper Ia your city copy OF this