The Portland daily press., 1895-03-29

swept away in its course scores if not
hundreds of insurance companies-lti is
not strange that wise business men cast
about them for a cause and for remedy
for this prodigious fire waste. Neither
is 1t strange that the great corporations
insuring the property of the country
have been compelled to advance their
rates of premiums in order to maintain
themselves and meet the enormous de-
mands made upon their resources
For the last thirty years the margin
between the premium receipts and the
expenses ana losses of the companies,
insuring against fire in this country, has
yielded an annual profit of less than 1-2
per cent, not to mention millions of dol
lars of insurance capital swept away in
the failure of companies caused by excess
i've fires. OF the ID fire insurance conf
panies having agencies in this city in
1876, only have 40 survived che devasta-
tions of the last nineteen years and are
ia business today.
In this connection it ma be well to
inquire briefly as to the cause of this
immense fire waste. 1t is claimed that,
at least rs per cent. of the fires are pre-
yentable. A very large per centage of
hres originate in carelessness, to say
nothing of ineendiarism. Carelessness in
construction of buildings, of ohimneys.
carelessness in storage and use of earth
ness as to rubbish, also cigar stubs
thrown into wooden boxes filed with
SaWdust, found in many stores and
offices, carelessneSs as to matches, gas
jets and defective electrical apparatus,
carelessness as to the employment OF in
competent men for responsible positions
in manufacturing establishments.
AS to Practical Methods for the Pre-
vention of Loss by Fire" l mention, list:
PROPER CONSTRUCTION OF
BUILDINGS.
Fine appearance and elaborate archi-
tecual effects do not necessarily consti-
tute good construction. Many modern
structures. lofty, massive and magnifi-
cent to the eye, are readily brought low
by the fire fend, because they are built
within with sheathing. iathing and
drafts between partitions, open elevators
and mir shafts from top to bottom, al
lowing the fire to spread rapidly to vari-
GUS concealed parts or the building,
W here it canont be reached. With care,
all this can be avoided. Buildings or
great height and great area are not good
construction from the insurance stand
point.
The chimneys, heating and lighting
apparatus, the piping and all stairways,
elevators and openings from one floor to
another, may be so arranged as to be
practically without hazard. When there
is a neig III boring outside hazard that is
to be guarded against by shutters. roof,
cutters and materials of proper fre-re-
sisting qualities The protection should
be external as we'll as internal. 1t is
interesting to observe in comparison the
generous and substantial chimneys still
to be seen in some of the old stores and
residences, and the scanty masonry of
many modern structures. In this city,
on the soutberly side Of Fore street,
stands an old brick block of stores,
which exhibits a construction quite in
line with present insurance standard re-
quiremenGs.
These stores are only three stories
high on the front, with basement
They have full division walls rising
about IS inches above the roof, which is
slated, while the cutters are of metal
Within the walls are bare, no finish, no
lathiDg, plastering OF sheathing; the
floors rest on heavy timbera. Were such
buildings more numerous fire would be
less frequent and very much less in ex-
tent and disaster than in most modern
structures. The enactment and enforce
ment of stringent building laws will
hasten these helpful results.
I'd. A we'll constructed building must
also udN6 care, luSuElI2 uGdllGSS, IIG6-
dom from rubbish and fre-generating
conditions. Wooden receptacles for ashes,
unrestricted smoking and negligence in
the use and disposal of lamps and match
es must be prohi bited.
Sd. Frequent and regular inspections
Of the entire building will often surprise,
enlighten and protect the owner from
eastern part of this State has system
of inspection which has resulted in the
saving of much property, and which may
properly he urged upon all cities and
towns. Two fire wardens are appointed
annually, with authority to visit every
building in the locality and demand
such changes and improvement as they
deem necessary to prevent fires. II the
owner of the building does not comply
with their requirements, they have the
work done and he must pay for it. The
inspe stions are usually made twice each
gear, and it is safe to say that they pre-
vent many fires and save much taxable
property to the town. Inspection by the
local authorities and inspection by the
owners, should be enforced IN every COM
munity, and will reveal unsupported
perils, and prevent enormous loss and
waste. Recently enacted legislation,
providing for local inspectors OF build
inqs, as well as for the investigation of
fires by municipal officers, is most wise,
aud must be very helpful IN diminishing
fire loss eS.
In France the greatest care IS taken as
to the construction, occupancy and con-
ditions of buildings, for there man
cannot collect insurance if fire originate
on his own premises. Such require.
ments result in small losses compared
with those in this country. The Insur-
ance Commissioner of Massachusetts not
very long since, in an address before the
Worcester Board of Trade, used the fol-
lowing language: We have sham build
ings all over the country. If we want
lower insurance rates, we must have bet
ter construction, and, no matter how we
feel the pinch, we must decrease the
cause by better laws and more care"
He also made this further statement:
@For the past five year the stock COM
panies in Massachusetts, paid out 1913
per cent. of their premiums, leaving only
Ia per cent. for dividends"
One hopeful indication that fire waste
may be diminished is in the systems of
su bstantial water works which are now
being SO generally established in many
of our thriving towns, and in the fact
| that organized fire departments are sure
| to follow in their wake.
Another similar indication is in the
adoption, by leading manufacturers, OF