Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-30

life and the terrible devastation wrought
in the awful catastrophe at San Francisco,
and it develops that much Of the suffering
was, in my opinion. directly attributable
to just one very common sin throughout
the country. though perhaps a little accen-
tuated in San Francisco on account Of the
natural hazards there-I mean the sin of
shoddy construction of buildings.
The Well-Built Structures.
''The buildings that were well built were
not shaken down by the quake. In fact the
very tallest ones that had. perforce, to be
the best buildings. suffered but trifingiy
from the earthquake. Those that were the
best built as regards fire protection suf-
fered the least-remember that point we'll
and wherever. in any of those buildings, any
one detail was anywhere nearly perfectly
done. that detail performed its special func-
ton satisfactorily. Had all the buildings
been well built none would have been
shaken down: had there been no fuel to
consume. there would have been no fire
following the quake: had there been less
fuel 1t requires no great effort of imagi-
nation to realize that there would have
been less fire. The whole trouble there
fore resolves itself into having given the
fire too much to burn.
I'm the columns Of the newspapers there
has often been editorial and other mention
of our appalling contributions to the fire
hend. but judging by the number
of people who have built we'll little at
tention seems to have been paid to the ad-
monitions of those who know how building
should be done Even in the matter, the
one detail, of flreproofing the steel frame
and building the floors and partitions OF
hollow fireproof tile or other more or less
hreproof material, there are but little over
5000 buildings so constructed IN the entire
country. In San Francisco there were per-
haps thirty. and they are about all that is
left In the burned district. As regards the
homes, where we should spent the most
time and where we house those most cher
ished by Us and our other treasures
doubt If there are 300 properly built IN the
entire country. and there was not one in
San Francisco.
Some of the Results.
"The results OF this laxity in building
have often been mentioned. 1t may not be
amiss, however, TO briefly recapitulate. We
destroy usually about eco lives a year by
fire. In New York there is an average OF
500 fires a year: in Chicago. AGO. We
burn up 8 theaters. public halls, II
churches, 10 schools, 2 hospitals. asylums.
2 colleges. 8 apartment houses. depart
ment stores, jaiIs, 20 hotels, 40 fiat
buildings and LOCO homes every normal
week of the year, and while doing SO
directly jeopardize $4,000 lives every day In
the year.
Normally, we are supposed to burn up
about $500 oc00o0 worth of property a
year but the question Is, what Is q normal
year? The year 1904, with Its Baltimore
disaster, was termed abnormal. and here
we are this year with San Francisco. The
same thing may happen to New Orleans or
any of the other fiimsily built cities next
year. OF, indeed, In the remaining half OF
this. So far. including San Francisco, our
loss for the year is Sao0,000O0o. Besides
that, we pay out pretty nearly $300.o0o,oc0
more a year for fire departments. water
| and the other incidentals OF alleged fire pro-
lection.
.Ah. but we are great on trying to
cure evils, but astonishingly slow IN inau-
gurating anything that looks to their pre-
vention-and to cap the climax we pay the
enterprising gentlemen who are willing to
gamble with us that our firsy buildings
will not burn the insurance companies. q
sum that has reached 81 sic, SS3. Az in ten
years,
Cost Of Construction.
.At the very highest possible estimate
we win build In this year OF boundless
plenty and unprecedented prosperity $780,
100000 worth of buildings That IS
q magnificent showing. granted. but
what think you Of people that viii build
30 that Aye-sevenths Of its total product
can be utterly consumed, wiped out Of
existence, prodigalfty that exceeds that
exercised In the worse than criminal de-
yaStattcn Of our forests and our Other
great natural resources. and that can apA1l
but one thing -ulttuAts bGnkruptcy.
In San FHanc1gcoss tail buifdin4s two
tfinss hnd been web done: The fnunAA ATHENS
were particularly good and tha aassnb1fnU
OF the steal fanss risidiy madas and VIII