Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-22
DANGER OF GASOLINE
Fire Department Officials
Anxious to Limit Sales.
CRUSADE ACTIVELY ON
PART OF POLICY FOR FIRE PRE-
VENTION.
Applications for Storage and Sale of
the Product Now Before
Fire Marshal.


| ''i'iN u'iiSSiotS tildil SulIc"Ntl - lie
garded as the cause of the most disastrous
| fires with which the department has to deaf.
1t is therefore the avowed purpose of the de
| partment to do all in its power to prohibit
! the sale or use of this intiammable liquid
| except for power purposes and for indus
| trial purposes In limited degree. The run
| ming of automobiles and gasoline engines
| the departemnt regards legitimate use
| of this product. for in such cases the fumes
are carefully guarded and their energy EN-
ployed. The department will direct It's at
tenton to the indscriminate safe and do
| nestle use of gasoline.
Fire Marshal Sidney Bieber who is re-
quired by law TO pass upon all applications
for permission to store sell infiammabe
oils, has been busily engaged during the
past few weeks in investigating and re
porting to the Commissioners upon in
Vulnerable applicat tons. No permit is now
granted until all the circumstances and
conditions surrounding the proposed storage
of the product are made known to the fire
marshal, or the assistant fire marshal,
Foreman Nicholson.
The investigation into this subject has
developed the fact that in many cases in
past years dealers have been allowed to
store and sell gasoline in various quantities
in stores where the upper floors of the
building have been occupied for residence
purposes. No such condition is allowed to
exist under the new order of things. The
nre marshal has recommended the de-
NAL of a large number of applications for
permission to store and sell gasoline where
he found upon investigation that portion
OF the building was occupied for dwelling
purposes. Kerosene is allowed to be stored
and sold on such premises in limited guam
titles.
The police regulations give the Commits
sioners authority to judge each applicati ton
upon its own merits. They provide that
gasoline may be sold when authorized by
the Commissioners and stored or held in
Such manner and quantity as shall be re-
CURED by the Commissioners" The Com
missioners haze but recently acted favor
ably upon the recommendations Of the chief
engineer of the fire department., Mr.. Will
lam I. Belt. and Fire Marshal Bieber that
the section of the regulations which grant
ed the privilege of storing as much as fifty
gallons of gasoline in house occupied in
part as a dwelling should be stricken out.
To Prevent Fires.
The crusade against gasoline is a part of
the great modern scheme of fire prevention
to which the fire departments of the coun-
try are progressively directing their atten-
ton. This plan of a more thorough system
of fire prevention was maugurated in the
District when Mr. Robert w Dutton was
made chief engineer of the department to
succeed Chief Paris. AS senior assistant
chief Mr.. Belt. the present head of the de-
partment, held similar views on the subject,
and since his elevation to the chiefs chair
has pursued the matter vigorously.
The work of fire prevention devOlVes al
most wholly upon the fire marshals Office
1t was with view to extending this i'm
portant branch of the service that the
Commissioners, upon the recOmm endation
of Chief Belt and Marshal Bieber. assign
ed Foreman P. w. Nicholson of the de-
partment as assistant fire marshal. The
old proverb that stitch in time ssVes nine
has had its influence upon all the fire de
partments of the country with progressive
men in the principal Offices. To prevent "A
fire is regarded as being of greater import
ance and value to the community than TO
be called upon to eXtinguiSh one. The q!
IDEA that the department must stand idle
until the flare of flames should call it into
action is obsolete. The executive branch of
the service is embracing every moment of
time to lettering the conditions of the COM
munity and lessenng the fire risk The
local department is especially anxious to
prevent fires as largely as possible, for
every one who has investigated the facts
finds that while the Washington depart
ment is hardly surpassed in efficiency its
insufticiency is most apparent. The equip
ment is not here. and every large fire
brings the fact forcbly to mind. The
argument has been repeatedly brought for
ward that if two CONGREGATIONS should rage
at the same time. an entirely probable
contingency sooner or later there would
be no means at hand to effectively cope
with the flames.
In carrying out this policy of fire proven
ton the fire marshal and the assistant
marshal visit daily a large number of mer-
camille establishments, well as hotels
large boarding and apartment houses etc.
Their object is TO see that the conditions
In these houses are such to preclude as
far as possible the danger of fire They
see that no intiammable materials are al
lowed to be stored or placed about in a
careless manner. They that cellars and
store rooms are kept In the best conditions
and that the goods therein are so arranged
as to afford easy access In case of con-
fiagratio Their work is extensive and
important.
Inspection of Buildings.
Within the past eighteen months the fire
department officials have visited every
hotel and apartment house in the city of
Washington. and have submitted to the
Commissioners individual reports covering
each case. In nearly every instance the
officials have recommended some sort of
change some further fire equipment
Fire escapes have been required in a num-
Der of instances, while red lights and gongs
have been increased and so distributed as
to location to render the best of service
in an emergency.
Gasoline, however. is the greatest subject
of apprehension on the part of the fire Off
Gals. They are the men best able to APP
preciate its dangers and to speak of the
havoc wrought by it's ndiscriminate use
narrowing in their details. Men women
and even little children have been found
enveloped in flames and burned to death as
the result of gasoline explosions. The
property damage has been great but the
loss of life associated with gasoline fires
is the most distressing feature of the sub
ject.
The great trouble with the use of gasoline
is that few people understand the dangers
attached thereto. They 90 not realize that |
during every moment this oil is exposed it
Is emitting gases which accumulate with
overpowerng force. 1t was but few years |
ago that the wife of a prominent naval Off
Ger, living Dupont Circle. went into
the attic to clean some tapestries with
gasoline. She had been engaged thus but a |
little while when a tremendous explosion
shook the neghborhood The brick front
of the house was blown out and the unfor- |