The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-19
THURSDAY. MAY 10. 1904
Fire Prevention.

az Fire Prevention.
on July 9th to 9th OF last yeai wy
,yas held In the city OF LONDON uiuol
ma auspices Of the British Fire Proven
.,on r,orn,ittee. nm International Fire
prevention Congress. whose proceedihss
and deliberations. with the papers reao'
nave been published in tho English
French and German languages
Among Others. the following resolutions
were adopted by tho congress
THAT the factory mutual system as
adopted in tho United States tends 70 'hs
,nreyention and reduction Of the !sfo
risk.
That the public authorities should en-
courage fire brigade officers to take an
(, active interest in the preventing aspect
* az fire prevention. inasmuch as the re-
suits Of fire brigade officers experience
IN actual fire protection. IL suitably
applied in conjunction with the work Oh
architects, engineers and public oihclas'
would be most useful.
The congress- considers that greater at
tention should be accorded to the main
tenance Of private fire appliances where
installed to meet local or insurance re-
qurements.
THAT 1t is of the greatest Importance
that an official investigation be made
OF all fires.
The congress considers 1t advisable
that the press should from time to time
publish technical reports on fires, 90 that
tho public may benefit from the knoWl.
,edge and experience gained.
The members of this congress are
strongly OF the opinion that in the pub
lilo interest 1t is Of tho utmost Importance
that on the occurrence of every fire an
Investigation should be Immediately
made by an official
Tho congress also adopted resolution
to discourage the common misuse Of the
term 'fireproot." recommending instead
the use of the term "fire-reslsting
The National Fire Protection Assoca-
ton OF the United States. which will
hold its annual meeting in New York
city on May 24th 18th and Goth. appointed
delegates to this congress last year, who,
in their report state that 1t is evident
that the first International Fire Preven-
tlon Congress has demonstrated the fol-
lowing:
/. That In Great Britain and on tho con-
tinent chiefs of fire brigades as we'll as
municipal authorities, pay more atten-
ton to the question of fire prevention
than in this country.
q
vestigation of fires, to the end that the
lessons taught by n fire may result in
fire prevention in the future. Is better
understood abroad than In this country
g. That inspection of premises by fire.
men, with legal authority to enforce cor
Tection Of defects which might cause
fires. is of great Importance.
A. That the necessity for uniform build
ing laws throughout the country Is EN-
phasized: and
g. That uniform laws or ordinances for
regulating the storage or use OF explo-
sives. combustlbles or chemicals. is Of
the utmost Importance.
The fire waste of the United States
ihlone In the twenty-eight years from
1875 TO 1902 was s3,2s5363 o5e That any
country-or rather that the people OF
any country-can afford to disregard this
drain upon the wealth. and that it can
find any reasonable excuse for continued
failure to exert the most vigorous efforts
toward the material reduction Of such
tprodgality is thought so absurd as
TO be unworthy Of n No
matter how great their prosperity and
how Immense their wealth. tho people of
the United States cannot afford to suffer
an annual waste of property ranging in
value from sl5o.oooooo to SITE 1900 It is
well to remember that destruction or this
character and amount actually brings.
directly or indirectly, to each self-sup-
than he would be willing to pay out In
cash on such an accountable underwater
necessarily requires the premium payer
TO shoulder the losses: the premium
payer II landlord. demands the sun
from his tenant, and the latter. II Q
tradesman. RECEIVERS the amount IRON
his customers. II the actual cost TO eacl
i'uSIuuai were !loI SO Mlhuteiy dlPlded
~ IL were not payable In imperceptibl
instruments that are scattered Throughout
the year, or II by any means just per
ception ofslhe amount thus lost and o
the better disposition that might be mad
OF it could be brought TO the individual
affected, an instantaneous change in tn
public attitude toward the country's fir
waste might, with reason. be expects
to take place.
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