Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-01
PAST YEAR NOTABLE
DEDUCTIONS DRAWN BY FIRE
MARSHAL BIEBER.
Report of the Operations Of His Office
for the Year Ended
June 80.

lions of the fire marshaIS once curing the
fiscal year ended June 80 last. Among
other things Fire Marshal Bieber says:
1.-THE year has been notable for an I'M
precedented fire loss throughout this coun-
try and in the dominion of Canada. wash
ington has suffered, in a degree, with her
sister Cities. but in comparison the loss
in the District of Columbia continues graft
fyingly small 1t has been the effort of the
Office to so carry out the department. or
ders and the Commissioners regulations
that the liability of fire within the city
proper might be reduced to the lowest pos
sible minimum. There yet remain smany
sources of menace which might properly De
made the subject of regulation.
1.-The great Baltimore fire OF FEBRUARY
last is matter of history. 1t has anordeo
an invaluable source of study for archl-
tects builders and fire-fghting officials. 1t
brought together the flower Of the fire de-
partments of the important cities OF inc
middle east. 1t afforded an exhlbltlon oI
various methods of fire fighting, and above
all gave evidence of how much better II
would be If effective methods could be en-
ployed to prevent fires, rather than TO sur
fer q conf1agration which called fofth the
combined energies of many cities before II
could be extinguished. Rochester and To-
ronto suffered seriously from general con-
fiagra tions-fires which In other years
would have called forth extended comment,
but which in the face of the greater calam-
ity at Baltimore paled into comparative in
significance"
Fire Causes Noted.
After referring to the fire losses alarms,
etc, Mr.. Bieber comments relative to
the causes of the fires as follows:
1T will be noted from an accompan ying
detailed statement of fires during the year.
together with their causes that gasoline
continues to be one of the greatest sources
of menace to the community. There were
twenty-seven explosions of gasonne stoves
during the year, and, all told, there were
seventy fires directly attributable to this
inflammable oil. Gasoline not only en-
dangers property, but in the case of nearly
every explosion some person is seriously,
If not fatally, burned
defective fiueS and chimneys also caused
an unusually large number of fires. Ii
would seem that some method of inspec-
ton might be inaugurated to reduce the
danger from this source. No less than 126
fires were caused by defective fues, while
there We're thirty-five fires in chimneys.
During the year number of new duties
were imposed upon this Office. The matter
of the sale and storage of explosives, such
as gunpowder, dynamite. etc. was made
the subject of new and amended regula-
tons by the Commissioners and the super
vision of the permits for such storage and
sale was placed in the hands of this office.
1t has been our effort to see that the regu-
lations have been complied with in every
carefully Investigated, and personal in
spectons were made of the premises and
conditions surrounding the places of stor-
age. 1t is already evident that the new
regula tons will prove of material aid in
maintaining the public safety.
Storage of Fireworks
1.-The matter of the supervision of the
storage of fireworks was also turned over
to this Office during the year, having been
g., z,I,, H.. 90 TOO
department. 1t was found that there were
no regulations dealing specifically with the
storage of fireworks. This office drafted
set of proposed regulations for the APP
prevail of the Commissioners, and it is
hoped that during the coming year some
such regulations will be adopted
means of better safeguarding property in
terestS.
The storage and sale of inflammable
oils has continued to engross the attention
Of the office. Each application for per-
nit has been acted upon separately. The
Office is still without adequate power to
properly restrict the storage and use of
gasoline, the regulations not being quite
as stringent as we would like to have
them.
Inspection of Theaters.
THE inspection of theaters and other
places of amusement has been continued
along the same stringent lines as in years
past. The 1roquois Theater holocaust in
Chicago last December awakened the peo-
pie OF the entire country to the neces-
sity of these inspections and the subse-
quent requirement that every possible pre-
caution should be taken against fire and
panic. A thorough system of theater in
spection has been in force in this CITY for
several years prior to the Iroquois fire
After the disaster, however, the United
States Senate, by resolution directed
the Commissioners to investigate and re-
port upon the local conditions of the yari-
ha
past inspections was most apparent and
the Commissioners were enabled to SUBJ
init most favora BILE report
The law enacted by Congress at the last
session regulating electric wiring in the
District of Columbia will unquestionabIy
prove to be valuable asset in the re-
sources SOU or hre prevention. Defective cleo
trio wiring has been given as the cause of
many or the country's most serious con-
fagrations, and if danger from this source
can be obviated great step forward will
have been taken.
The inspection of mercantile houses has
been during the past year, as always one
or the most important duties Of the Office
II Is our enort to impress the merchants
with the necessity of keeping their estab-
lshments In such condition that the firemen
may readily find access to possible fire
The cellars and attics are given special at
tention Goods should be stored in orderly
piles, with plenty of passage or aisle room
Practically the entire city was covered dur
Ing the past fiscal year. 1t is gratifying
TO report that the merchants and citizens in
general have awakened to the necessity of
exercising care in the prevention of fires"
Regarded as Menace.
The fire marshal declares that frame fuel
sheds constitute menace to many sections
OF the city. He urges that some action be
taken whereby these sheds, erected in the
future, Shall be of fire-resisting materials
Mr.. Bieber makes the following compli-
comment on the work of Assistant
Fire Marshal Nicholson:
early In the fiscal year Foreman Philip
w. Nicholson of the department was de-
tailed to this office as assistant to the fire
marshal. The increasing duties of the Of
flee and the resulting increase of work
made 1t imperative that a competent man
be assigned to assist in carrying out the
orders of the department and the Commits
Foreman Nicholson, a fireman of
twenty years experience and thoroughly
drilled in every branch of the work, has
proved valuable, careful and painstaking