New-York tribune., 1902-02-16
TIE INTERIOR ERE ALARM.

Referring the "confagration hazard" Presi-
dent F. c. Moore, Of the Continental Fire In
surance Company has said: Just how important
it is all citizens that fires should prevented
be better illustrated than in the statement
that the congested mercantile district Of the city
of NeW-York, between Fourteenth Street and Cham
bers Street, contains values estimated as aggre-
eating $500 coo The entire loss paying ability
of all the companies admitted to do business in
the State Of New-York is less than 100000 600.
one-sixth Of the sum named their loss paying
ability being the amount Of their capital and
surplus, which two items form their only assets
available for fire losses. Any fire starting may,
under adverse circumstances Of high winds. in
tense cold, severe snowstorms failure water or
other casualty, destroy entire city. 1t is need
less suggest that fire of the dimensions of that
Of the great Chicago confagration taking place in
the district referred to would result in financial
disaster extending over the entire continent"
Similar statements frequently made by other
leading underwriters and by the insurance jour
mails.
But what is the chance for such a conha grafton
in New-York? The superb efficiency of the New
York Fire Department has thus far prevented any
OF our serious hres from becoming what Is called
a "confagration." Under present conditions hard
ly anything but the recurrence of such blizzard
as that of 1883 is likely TO serious loss
from a single fire than in the notable fires of the
last ten years.
The 1883 blizzard" may be duplicated any win
ter but the ever present conhagration risk is
chiefly in the chance that the department may
have 10 deal with two or more serious fires at the
same time. II at the time of the Rogers-Peet or
the Tarrant the Wicke Company fires. a fire
had got a good start In the heart OF the whole
sale drygoods district, New-York surely would
many experts think, have had the dreaded con-
fla grafton.
Anything which happen and for which all the
elements present and active may happen at
any time.
The insurance companies provide against
largely increased loss from numerous ordinary
fires by increasing premiums but they cannot save
themselves their patrons from the ruinous con-
sequences of great city confagraton.
Since the SOlVency of insurance companies may
any time be impaired by a great cOnfia grafton
j.. any large city, property owners. while at all
t.9es keeping fully insured. should realize the
ceSsty of doing all in their power protect their
property.
There should be unceasing vigilance In preventing
fires. every approved internal facility for eXtin-
gushing fires and means for transmitting alarms
instantly 10 Fire Headquarters.
The Manhattan Fire-Alarm Company. 10 Barclay
Street, furnishes any desired number OF interior
stations, each OF which is in effect the dupli-
cate Of the nearest street fire larm box
In six seconds after pulling down the ring in
of these interior alarm boxes the alarm il in Fire
Headquarters in SiXty-seventh Street In ten sec
Onds IL will be in all OF the apparatus houses
10 which orders for the location are sent and 6f-
teen twenty seconds later the men and engines
on their way to the fire.
The department counts time by seconds" in re-
spending 10 alarms. and IL Is TO exaggerate
the value of hre-alarm service which saves
minutes In sending in the alarm.
The company operates what is known as the