The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-29
Mysterious Fires.

OF the 1850 fires in Manhattan, The
Bronx and Richmond reported In 1905
the oauses Of 1881 were not ascsrtained,
and these fires did S4,7l6,277 OF the total
damage, which was estimated at ss.H1,-
955. In other words, the authorities
were able to learn the u Of the little
blazes, but Of the others they remain in
ignorance. Only twenty-three fires, with
q total loss Of $4,440, were put down to in
cendiarism, and ffty-seven persons were
arrested for arson, some Of them for
crimes committed before the beginning
Of the year. The arson account shows
that in the year eight persons were con-
victed and sentenced, two were con-
victed and released under suspension OF
sentence, and four pleaded guilty and
were sentenced. Thirty-six persons &C
cused Of this crime were dismissed from
custody by Judges, three were acquitted
by juries, one the Grand Jury refused
to indict, and one insane prisoner was
committed to an asylum.
Carelessness in the use of matches was
responsible for 757 fires, with a damage
account Of $7l,s5o. Heat from stoves,
furnaces and steam pipes was charged
with "A fires, the losses from which
amounted to 500, 1925. Chimney fires and
those caused by heat from defective
fiues are next on the list-in number 439.
They did $l4,835 damage. or $40. 600 less
than the 4O4 fires that were caused by
carelessness in the use Of cigars, ciga-
rettes and pipes.
Defective insulation Of electric appar-
atus' caused seventy-ive fires, doing
$72,sl2 damage. Only four fires were
caused by the use of kerosene in start
ing stove fires, and the damage they did
is put down az nothing. Two hundred
and forty-four of the calls for the Fire
Department were due to children play
ing with matches or fire, and the loss
from this source was SIS, 2e7. The cata-
logue Of causes includes such entries as
these:
Alcohol. tar, pitch. gum. oil, paints. DC. ignitlng
on stovea. gaalights, &C.: hot ashes ignitins wood
work.. DO; sparks or heat from bonnres, brush
nres. rubbish nrea. &C; careiesxness In the use OF
candles. tapers. &c: combustion or explosion Of
chemicals: ignition Of Christine as trees: fireworks;
friction Of or sparks from machinery: negligence
In fumigating: escaping and ignited Illuminating
gas; gasllghts, In contact with ~curtslnsG falling.
upsettlg. explosion Of and heat from kerosene.
~gssoiene. alcohol. lamps; lightning; siaking of
Time: malicious mischief; matches. gnAwed by rata
or mice: sparks from ohimneys. stoves, Stove
pipes. &o.: sparks from locomotives, engines. &C.;
sparks from other nres; hot Goals falling from
stoves, furnaces. CRATES: spontaneous combustion
Of oily rags. &o.: csreiessness in thawine frozen
water and other pipes
The Fire Marshal endeavors to learn
the real cause Of every fire. The police
and fremen are called on to assist In this
work. One explanation Of the inability
OF the authorities to learn. the causes Of
the great free is the complete destruction
OF all evidence within the burned area.
Only in small fires Is 1t possible I'd, make
effective examination Of the surround
ings of the blaze. The great fires remain
mysteries, and as long as they do it is
improbable that a material reduction in
the fire loss can be brought about.