The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-05-21

Awful Losses by the Consuming Element
Could in Large Part Be Obviated by Proper
Building Construction.
By F. W. FITZPATRICK.


Our people are prone to fret under
taxation they rebel when prices OF COM
modities are a trifle above what they
think they ought to be and insist upon
curative legislation when the cost OF
railway or other transportation becomes
somewhat burdensome.
Yet they bIindly submit TO a tax that
| is heavier than any of these, the great
est single tax the nation pays, and one
| that does absolutely no good to anyone,
| does not help defray Governmental ex-
| penses, does not enrich an individual
| who again circuIates the money back
/! among the people, and yields no profit
nor pleasure to anyone; but, trenlefid-
ors drain that 1t is, it Is entirely wasted,
| for all that vast outlay of money goes
absolutely fnto-snoke!
Awful Fire Losses.
| Not only is our fire loss an awful tax
! in money, but-think of it-last year IT
wiped out 6.772 lives. We are appalled,
at the loss of life occasioned every year
| by our railroads. Yet, last year bat 15s
more passengers were killed by those
railways than there ware people buried
TO DEATH
Few people appreciate the life-hazard
of fire. There is much legislation anent
smallpox for instance. Our schools In
sist upon all children being yaceInated,
and much ado is made about the dis
ease and the isolation of its victims
yet there are barely half as many peo-
pie carried off by what is deemed a
dread scourge as there are who lose
their lives in fires. The death rate by
scarlet fever in 1904 did not equal that
| by fire by several hundreds.
After some great holocaust, such as
that at Chicago scarce a year ago, the
newspapers and individuals have much
| to say and urge legislators TO most
drastic action. And, so. too. after d
great sacrifice of property. as at Baiti-
more, are wise laws and building orei:-
nances much discussed.
Forgotten Lessons.
With the terrible lessons OF 1904 In
! mind we naturally thought that the
! nation would awaken to the realization
| OF the fire danger. Indeed. some cities
/ rave passed rather severe restrictions
/ that. if insisted upon, would insure q
| fair standard of building which would
go far toward preventing at least great
confiag rations.
But there is scarce city in the coun-
try where. If a man have sufficient lin
fiuence' with some alderman or othe,
i he cannot get "ameiiorating conces-
aions'' and other exemptions from the
building regulations. II he be power
ful enough he can build absolutely re.
4 CARELESS OF building inspector or by
i law.
have records of case after case
were special permits" are issued. OF
where building inspectors are ordered
by their superfors. the council. or thf
mayor to issue permits, so and so
or where, If that official refuses, such
special permits are issued over his
head
Naturally. as theater was the scene
of the most terrible loss Of life. theater.
were made the subject Of the most rig
crous regulations But the authorize:
and, above all. the people have grown
apatnetlc, and 1 doubt if there are ter
theaters in the whole country who Iiv,
, up TO the full spirit of what theatei
should be to insure the protection @
the lives of its patrons; in most fagran
violations of the regulations are tole
rated,
Fireproof Construction.
We naturally expect that with Bal
cities. at least the intelligent ones, wouls
: insist upon larger areas of compulsor,
fireproof construction and a highel
standard established of what Is known
as hreproof construction. And we ex
pected. above all. that individuals wife
after all. are the principal losers, hav
. ing received such plain lessons, woulC
exercise greater intelligence in at leas
building new buildings, if not in pro
teeting and changing the old ones.
But not a bit of it. Wood and mer
. wood is still being used in our build
) ings, tinderboxes going up all about Us
? great warehouses that will contain mil
lions of dollars worth of property, vas
| institutions where hundreds of human
J beings are housed, and where often hun
dreds are locked in, homes by the thou
; sands all pretty extensively finished
but in which the gravest danger eve
turks.
Who would carry around quart o
nitroglycerip with him in his daily wall
of life and the pursuit of happiness
and liberty?. Yet people live an,
worship and do business and send thei
children to schools in buildings tAat, T.
use an Hiberrianism. are as quick oil
| the trigger as nitrogIycerin.
Why, within the last few days I hav
| seen three fires where, from the tim
they were first discovered TO the poin
when floors and roof fell in. includin:
the time it took to carry many hufnal
. beings in but their nightclothes from
out of third and fourth-story windows
scarce half an hour had elapsed.
Folly of Baltimore.
Of all cities one would think tina
ought to build well now Baltimor
should take the lead. Yet it seems L
me that there are more tinder-con
structed buildings going up there nov
shan there were before the fire, and
| all things considered. really inferio
construction to that which was swep
J away scarce twelve months ago.
| Our people do not seem, bright d
they are in other ways, to have tn
slightest appreciation of the danger
! aid the cost of fire. Last year Their
was actually destroyed over $3.50, oo0, 90
worth OF property, or an average o
$500. 0je day. Infinitely more money thai
was expended in new buildings in tn
same time
| re Ia,