, 1896-07-06
THE FIRE LOSS IN 1895.
Property to the Amount of SAP, lilo, 233
Destroyed by Flames Last Year.

To most persons the subject of fire
losses is interesting. even If 1t does not
appeal to them personally. For p
years the Chronicle" the principal
organ Of the insurance interest in this
city. has published tables setting forth
the annual fire loss in the United
States. and this year these tables, COM
pairing similar losses in earlier years
with those Of last year in all parts OF
the country are more Interesting and
i~lluminative than ever before.
In considering the loss by fire, insur-
ance men look at the subject from two
points. The property loss is one thing
to them, the insurance loss is another.
The first is the total loss; the second,
the loss that falls upon the insurance
companies. In brief, there were 3S, OO3
fires in 1895, which destroyed So, 1861
pieces Of property; the total loss
amounted to $142. ITO, 233, and the in
surance loss to $84, SOS, O3O. These
amounts are enormous in themselves.
but it is recored that the average prop
erty loss and the average insurance
loss were smaller than ever before, be-
ing 1878 for the former and $2,22s for
the latter, as against $3,93S and 81, $50
respectively in 1894. That is, in 1895
the insurance covered Ga per CEN of
the loss. while on 1894 it covered less
thar 60 per cent.
In 1895 there were 22,711 fires in
dwelling houses; next in number were
the fires in stores and Offices, which
amounted to 1858; livery stables,
barns and tobacco barns Ia rather
strange c~ombination) came third, with
8,l42 fires. Three hundred and two COL
leges. school houses and contents were
burned. 500 theaters and public and
private halls. and $40 churches. Manu-
featuring establishments to the num-
Der OF 1921, and hotels, clubs and res
taurants to that of 1882, were injured
more or less seriously by fire. OF the
53.961 pieces Of property injured, 49,
95s caught fire from exposure to fires.
originating elsewhere, and the loss
caused by these 10000 fires amounted
to nearly $3s. 900, 900. equal to more
than &c per cent of the total loss.
Naturally. the summer months show
the lightest losses. May was the month
Of lightest property loss and June that
OF lightest insurance loss. The great
est insurance loss and the greatest
number of fires occurred in October,
seemingly because the furnace fires be-
gan to be lighted in that month. The
greatest property loss. however. oc-
Cured in March; In that month occur
red seven fires involving losses Of more
than 5000, 900 each, while three Of them
caused losses Of than $500, 900
each.
The western states provided a larger
percentage Of the fires than ever be-
fore. with 4O.7 per cent to thir account;
the middle states had 26.5 per cent. The
fires in these two sections were more
numerous than in 1894. but in the east
ern. the southern and the Pacific states
the percentage decreased.
A table Of especial interest Is that
showing the fires caused by electric
wires or lights. Naturally. the ques-
ton Of electricity as a cause of fire did
not come up very Long ago; in fact. 1t
is only for the 10 years. 18S6-1895. that
figures on the matter are to be had. In
1895 there were 249 fires caused by
.,ctricity, as against 217 in 1894; but
the fires caused by exposure to those
started by electricity numbered only
SO, instead Of 1863 in the former year.
So the total number of fires caused by
electricity was 1888 in 1895 and 1856 in
1894, a very marked falling of. 1t is
evident that greater care in insulating
wires and in other matters connected
with electrical plants is taken.
A table Of the losses by their causes
Occupies a considerable part Of the
chronicles" book and affords much
of interest and instruction. Accidents
caused 29S fires. 20 of them in the Dis
trict of Columbia and ~ in New York
state. Hot ashes and Goals started 31S
fires, and bonfires only 40, while burg
lars caused 65. Candles set 248 fires
and carelessness only 203, while chill.
dren playing with fire were RESPONSE
BILE for II. Fires to the number Of 53e
were due to cigars, cigarettes and to-
bacco pipes, while 1907 were caused
by defective iues. OF these. 1858 were
in Illinois and 331 in this state
Drunken men set 16 fires in 10 states
Explosions caused 3,051 fires; Of these
six were dust explosions, occurring In
Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Fire
works and frecrackers caused 31s fires
incendiarism. 1921; lightning. s3s, and
matches, LIN. Mischievous children
started 81 fires and natural gas 81, two
of which were In New York state. Thu
much maligend plumber caused only g.
.nres with his furnace. while locomo.
tive sparks set 427. Spontaneous com
bustion il held responsible for 521 fires
stoves Tor 1886, and tramps for 26S. o
unknown and unassignable origin
were 5,9S1 Ares, while 1851 were no
reported ~ insurance losses. A stud!
Of the cause tables enables the "Chron
icle" to say that the inherent and com
mon causes show each an increases
percentage, while the indirect (of Grim