Evening journal., 1907-02-09
INSURANCE
RATES ARE HIGH
Underwriters Not Backward
in Scoring Fire Department
Service and Water Facilities
MANY RECOMMENDATIONS
ARE SUGGESTED

Members OF City Council and tia
Water DEPARTMENT have received tho
report OF the National Board Of Fire
Underwriters. Of the examination
made OF the city's fire and water ser-
vice IN October and November OF last
year The report is exhaustive and
contains % printed pages. and also a
map Of Wilmington showing the
water service mains and the location
Of the ere companies.
In a general way the report says:
"rho population. by police census
April 1, 1906. was S5ia6. the 1900 United
states census showing 7650S Tha
city's growth has been healthy. due
largely 10 it's increasing Importance as
"a manufacturing centre. The principal
manufacturing works are car shops.
leather factories, ship yards and fouu-
dry and machine shops. There ara
good shipping facilities both by rail
and water.
"The city covers an area OF 101s
square miles. II as somewhat hilly.
there being "a variation In elevation OF
]
number OF steep grades. the maximum
being 10 per cent. grades OF over 8 per
cent. can usually be avoided by going
o. block or two out OF the way. Most
of tho serious grades are short Streets
both inside and outside Of the con-
gested value district range mainly
from 40 70 &C feet in width; Fourth
land French streets are So 1-2 feet and
78 i-2 feet respectively. About 90 per
cent. OF the streets are improved. and
ON the whole are In fairly good condi-
/ ton; the unimprovcd streets are fro
Qnonily in poor condition during bad
weather. hut are mostly IN districts of
minor Importance. No notice is sent
to the fire department when streets
\ arc blocked for repairs. Overhead cleo
trio wires form serious obstructions at
many points. Bituminous coal is the
prevalent fuel for manufacturing pur-
poses: anthracite coal and manufac-
tured gas are used extensively for do
nestle purposes. Tho prevailing di-
, roction Of winds Is from the northwest
during the winter months and tho
southwest az other times. There Is no
weather station IN Wilmington and no
local records Of wind velocities are
available: those for Philadelphia.
which are approximately correct for
wilmington show the average yearly
wind velocity TO be 90 miles per hour
and tho average number OF gales ex-
ceeding 40 miles per hour 20 be 8.
Winter temperatures frequently fall;
below zero and extended periods OF Sc
we're cold weather are common.
Fire Loss Too High
"The annual fire losses for the last
four years. as given In the fire depart
fment reports. have averaged s9S679,
with q maximum Of s16i .9J9 in 1908.
; During the last four years the loss per
b fire has averaged $3.50. very high fig-
Iure for a city the size Of Wilmington.
3 while the number OF fires has averaged
2 1870. The high average loss per FIRE
4 is said to be due to an excessive water
o damage. The average number OF fires
for each 1000 OF population was 1.57.
10 and the average loss per capita w9s
S119, both being moderate figures
The Water System
The report OF the water system Is a
Illengthy one and shows the average
daily water consumption and other Inn
portant facts.
'Fifty-eight per cent. OF the total
lamount OF water consumed during the
year 1905 was metered, OF which So pen
cent. was used for manufacturing pui-
poses alone. OF the 16310 services "a
, per cent. are metered; meters are In
e stalled and maintained at the expense
I OF the Water Department, and placed
on service pipes one inch and over in
diameter"
Continued on Fourth Page.