Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-14
INSURANCE SHOWS LOSSES
A LITTLE IN EXCESS OF 1906

" OMPARED with other years IN
suranco during 1907 win show
fairly wen. but with losses O. lit
tie in excess Of the preceding
years. The situation would have APP
peared more favorable but for the
heavy losses Incurred by the Rcdman
fire. just what action. if any. the
board Of fire underwriters of the Pacific
Intend TO take about that fire was. at
this date OF writing uncertain. as the
secretary was in New York and his re
turn 90 San Francisco not stated. Re
ports OF this Ere and Of the burning OF
the Sears residence on First avenue
have been filed with the board I'm san
Francisco: and when MT Stiuman re-
turns from the east, these reports and
the recommendation filed some weeks
ago. as to matters I'm this city by the
surveyor here viii be acted upon.
The surveyors special report issued
recently is quite a comprehensive doc
ument, carrying with q much vamab5
information. 1t states the atmosphere
as dry, with the area Of the built up
district -fourths of a square mile,
high winds being occasional in the
spring and fall. but Of short duration.
The city waterworks are OF the gravity
system. though not standard. with pres
sure 30 20 105 lbs usually 20 10 30
pounds There is a duplicate main
which can be used in case the other Is
out of commission. The largest mains
I'm the mercantile district are 16 inches;
the smallest six inches. There are fouy
reservoirs Of total capacity Of S.915.oO0
gallons. or about 10 hours supply. The
available constant flow minlmum) Of
100000. and Cmaximum) l5S.OO0,o00
gallons per diem. The MIGRANTS num-
Der 1850. nearly an two-way, In good
condition $50 to 300 feet apart in the
mercantile district, and 500 TO 500 feet
apart IN the residence district.
The city has four steam fire engines,
all being extra size. two second class
and one fourth class, so gallon chem
ical. one 40 gallon chemical-hose wagon
combined. three hose wagons, three
village trucks. one four wheel hose reel,
an extension ladder truck and two
chiefs buRgies. There are u, $50 feet
OF FIRST class hose less than two years
old. the Gaynor fire alarm system with
70 stations. and private lines into the
telephone offices. The fire department,
includes 81 paid men, but no fire mar
shall. as the chief acts IN that capacity.
As TO the conhagratiou hazard. there
are very few frame buildings IN the
business district and the streets are eX-
ceptlonally wide. AS 20 the previous
fire record. the average number Of fires
per year. 1902 70 1906 inclusive, was 2i2;
average loss by FIRE per year SIPS. SlO.27
Last year there We're 237 fires, with
losses aggregating $50 29S 60. Among
the exceptional features" is stated the
fact that there Is considerable old de-
fective electrical wiring.
The surveyors report recites the sta
tistics Of water supply from city. Par
ley's, Emigration and Big Cottonwood
creeks. In City Creek the maximum
flow April to July 5000. 600 10 22 900 900
gallons per diem. Minimum flow Sep
tember TO November 1900 900 TO 7000.-
600 gallons per diem. PaIlcy's creek
maximum flow, April 10 July. 100000
10 100000 900 gallons; minimum flow
September 20 November 100000 gall
slons. Emigration creek, 100000 per
diem the year around. Big CottOnwood
creek, 1850 Of entire flow; miXimum
April 20 July $4,000 900 gallons; minl-
mum flow. September 20 November
5000 900 gallons The question Of water
rights OF Big Cottonwood creek is stih
in the courts, and some months VIII
20 20 "a r.
favorable. the city will own one half of
the Big Cottonwood stream. with
minimum flow OF 33.00O.000 gallons per
diem. In the meanwhile about one
fourth of the flow is being directed
into the city's conduit. Storage rescr-
volrs aggregatlug FIVE days supply FOR
fire and domestic purposes are lacking,
and street mains Inadequate 10 distrib-
ute water in sufficient quantities Pine
lines not less than six inch should be
extended through the centers Of the six
blocks constituting the congcsted dis
trict, with MIGRANTS 10 enable fremen
20 fight fire from the rear OF buildings.
HOME FIRE OF UTAH.
Tho Home Fire Insurance company
Of Utah. the only local fire insurance
concern in the lutermountain country
celebrated the tWenty-frst year OF its
existence In 1907. the company having
been founded by its president Hcber j.
Grant. iu september 1856.
Al the Office Of the Home company
yesterday. Do was stated that the year
1907 win be the most prosperous OF any
the company has known. While the fire
losses have been large thoro has been a
wide increase in business. and the Inc
vestments OF the company have again
shown wisdom and conservative
management the income from this
source being heavier than ever. As
usual tho profits ON the Insurance
branch remain at 4 per cent but iu the
Investment department the income is
larger than amy yet reported The Home
Firc is now in the hali-million class Cts
assets reaching that total FOR the nrst
time The board of directors this year
decided on entering quito "a number of
the older states. where they have not
hitherto been writing business. This
win extend the company business
heavily and result in bringing Don new