The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-09-07
More Water.

Like the man with fever who cried water
for water six long weeks in the month OF
August. some Of the people would like to have
more water for fire protection.
II 1t were practical to make the arrange
ment would 1t not be well to take into con-
sideration the joining of the water mains OF
the city with the pump at the cotton mill.
The cotton mill has an inexhaustible supply
OF water, and hat institution has a powerful
pump that could in case of fire and a scarcity
Of water send the water from the mill
to the utter most limits OF the mains.
OF course for domestic uses the well, or
wells, furnish an abundance Of the best and
purest water, but in case OF q great hre the
advantage OF having recourse to an mex
haustible supply Of water might be Of inesti'
mable value in saving property.
But we would enjoin upon our people the
necessity for keeping the fact Of any In
creased supply OF water from the insurance
companies. The Press and Banner, not so
long ago, put a two-inch pipe and two places
for dIscharse of water through two hose, and
In q very little time the insurance folk came
around and increased the insurance. A year
or Two later, when the Medium office was
moved from the next room, and the door was
bricked up, the insurance men came around
again and still further Increased the rate.
For these reasons It might not be we'll to
inform the Insurance companies that the
town has more water, or has in any other way
reduced the fire risk.
We have almost come to the conclusion
that the insurance people are not much up on
the subject of fire risks. The history of this
town would show that a great number OF the
best houses-of brick and ~wood-have been
destroyed by fire, while, without a single
exception, the old shacks, or such buildings
as were regarded extra hazardous, are still
standing, or stood until they were torn
down.
Except In case of proximity 1t would seem
to US one house is as likely to burn as
another. No house will burn that does not
catch on fire. and any house will burn If fire
breaks out in it. AS an original proposition
a brick house is little more safe from fire
than q wooden building, except that a brick
house is not 80 likely to catch on fire from a
near by burning building.
The insurance rate in the old line com-
panies is very high, and the Abbeville-
Greenwood mutual has such bylaws as
preclude The company from taking any risks
where there is any chance for the fire COM
panies 10 save q building. The Aboeville.
Greenwood Insurance Company only takes
the hazardous risks which are generally re.
fused by the old line companies, and the old
line companies take the safer and better
risks at q high rate OF Insurance.. If the
companies should find out that
Abbeville had made still better provision
against fire, judging from our own expert
ence. their rates might be raised to a figure
which would be prohibitive.
With the Abbeville-G Greenwood Company
carefully avoiding the houses which have the
protection of the fire company, and with the
old line raising the price Of insurance we are
p%erplexed. AS we lower the risk OF a fire
the premium Is raised, at least some