New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-30
FIRE RISKS IN CITIES.

In a recent issue 1.-THE Insurance Press" made
an uncomfortably suggestive showing of the
peril from fire TO which property is exposed
In this country. In tabular form 1t presents
an estimate of the maximum loss which could
ensue in any one Of 235 cities from the burn
ing Of single business block. The sched-
ule Is thoroughly representative, because it in
cludes every State in the Union and at least
two Territories. In small places the values
range from 100000 to S1.000.o00. and in larger
ones they run far beyond the latter figures. In
Baltimore, for instance there is still standing
a block in which the buildings and contents
together are put at $3,000000 San Francisco
has one which is valued at S6.000.000. The
highest estimates for Boston and st. Louis
are S7,000,000, and for Chicago, Philadelphia
and Newark SS,OOOOo0 1t is believed that the
metropolis contains several blocks the destruc-
ton of one of which would involve a sacri-
fee Of S10OO0000 or more. while in a solitary
case the loss might reach S25.000000! An ex-
hibit of this character Is enough to take ones
breath away, but the manner IN which it was
prepared inspires confidence. Expert appraiS-
ers bankers, officers of boards of trade and in
surance agents have been appealed to for in
formation, and In nearly every instance the
data have come from responsible business men.
In making the compilation THE Insurance
Press" has chosen moderate figures in prefer
did not agree in indicating the costliest block
in any city a typical one was taken as the
basis of an estimate.
Another table in the same periodical indl-
Gates that the proportion of destructible build
ings is much larger in some communities than
In others. In few places the preponderance
of frame structures over those composed Of
brick and stone is small. Chicago makes
creditable showing IN this respect, buildings of
the former class there numbering 1860 and
those of the latter 112, 800. In Boston and
Newark the difference is at the rate of two
to one, and in some Southern and Western
cities twelve or fifteen TO one. In factory
towns more extreme conditions might be ex-
pected to prevail. In such places would
look for large number Of small tenementS for
the accommodation Of the operatives and con-
centration of business in few mills of excep-
tionaI size. It is not surprising to learn, there
fore, that only 4S4 buildings out of 1887 in
Fall River are constructed Of brick or stone
For other reasons a similar disparity is OBJ
served in that old and cultured suburb of Bos-
ton. Cambridge That city reports only coo
buildings Of brick or stone and more than
1900 of the other class. It must be remem-
bered, however that the infeTiority Of such
place to Boston and Chicago, though real, is
not indicated with precision by these statistics
A great many structures whose shells are in
combustible are almost as vulnerable as frame
buildings when attacked by fire from within or
without Wooden foors floor timbers doors
and window castings facilitate destruction in
an appalling manner.
Increased safety is to be secured by co-opera-
ton between the architects and owners of new
buildings and by the adoption OF strict regu-
lations concerning construction by municipal
authorities Few American cities yet have
building codes that are so nearly ideal as that
of New-York. Though local ordinances of this
kind usually applicable to the future and
not the past, they constitute the chief hope Of