The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-07
nv rnEpEn1c j. HAsKIN.

BY FREDERIC D.. HAshlNs
The annual fire loss of the United
States amounts to the enormous total
of $500, 900, 600. In years like those In
which occurred the Baltimore and san
Francisco conflagrations, destroying
entire business sections. the loss Is
vastly more. The property saved. how
ever. by the fire departments Is much
greater in value than that consumed
In addition to the property destroyed
and the lives lost as a result OF fires
In the United States, the cost OF ire
insurance and of maintaining ire ae-
partments is reckoned at consider
ably more than sl0O, 100000 per annun.
Yet despite all the wonderful Improve
ments that have ,i been ma 6mr,n ne the the
past generation or two. the dainage
due to fires In this country HAS oeeh
increasing at an alarming rate.
The United states has, IN proportion
to its population, four times the IRE
lighting force OF France or Germany
and three times that of Great BRIAN.
There are paid fire departine an th ie
United States. partly paid fire Depart
ments in more than $50 additional
towns and cities. and volunteer IRE ae
partments In nearly S,ooo au i'ie,, a.
communities. The immense system OF
protection against fire represents an
| investment or many million dollars and
employs a large army OF fireinen; Ils
| annual expenditures for municipal IRE
| departments range from 80 cents per
capita at Washington, d. c., up to we
per capita at Providence. r. !.
Perhaps no field of activity ofters
so many opportunities to the inventor
as does the problem OF fire fighting.
Ever since the days Of the Stowmarket
engine OF 173i, with It's equlpment OF
a six-foot barrel for water, hanu
pumps and leather buckets. and the
George Washington fire engine a. at
AIexandra, Va, which is reverently
| hauled through the streets by the citi-
/ zens on Washington's birthday, Inc
i constant aim has been to improve tire
/ fighting methods. To-day In several
i large cities we have stationary pump
i ing stations connected through under
!. ground pipes with street hydrahtis =,
4 through which fresh or salt water Is
forced at tremendous pressure some
times that modern wonder, inc ire
boat, aids in the work INC largest
gallons of water per minute upon q
: barbor front conflagration and their
offensive force is increasing as rapid
ly as that of a battleship..
} of tho permanent or experiment Ia
leGuipment of the fire departments or
large cities. There are great engines
, OF many tons weight which are pro
tricity or by gasolene. There are great
: telescoping aerial ladders and water te
/, towers nearly lou feet hiBll, opei alec
by compressed air. and electricity
There are portable searchlights &c
penetrate the dark corners of endan-
gered buildings. masks and hoods &C
: peril and scaling ladders with whose
= aid the firemen can go straight up tne
face Of a building. There are guns
: which will shoot life line to the toI
persons can jump from upper stories
: In fine. science and invention are evei
busy with new and ingenious device:
d to protect and save life and property
If When an alarm box is pulled It's
i. number Is indicated at fire headquar
tiers by dots and dashes.. according t
the Morse telegraph code. CORE
spending metal tag Is immediately ap
!, piled to an electric sending instru
;, ment, button is pressed and the alarl
n. is rung in every engine house within
at In an engine house was the Invention
Vt in 1878, Of Stephen Paine negr'
10 member of the Chicago Fire Depart
~ nent. The first pole was wood, bu
2n that gave way to nickeled iron an
I'D later to brass.
IT. Modern inventions have helped muc
"a In controlling fires, but the limit ha
IN not yet been reached Something mus
~ Bile fire In the subways when ar
burrowing. beneath great cities N
beds of rivers and arms OF the SCI
st The skyscraper Is another great prot
~ lem, and It has been proposed tina
~ each building OF this character haN
N, it's own individual water. tower MOI
fire alarm boxes are advocated, OF
at each intersection OF streets. ol
he enthusiastic dreamer has suggeste
ell that in time it will be possible to pr
NV out fire by simply pushing QUITO
ia at headquarters, which would releas
- a torrent of water or chemical prepi
ration from 300-foot stationary WI
on ter tower, such towers to be construc
ir- ed at frequent intervals throughout
o. The judgment Of experts is that Il
best way to combat the fire evil is
ne, prevent it. This can only be dol
through long campaign of educ
tion. In this connection, IT Is PRE-
has posed to prohibit the erection of al
tay but absolutely fire.proof buildings,
construct fire-proof walls at interva
, va across a city, and to adopt other e
wv traordinary precautions.
sh- The modern system of fire Eighth
has developed during comparative
md recent years, but for two centuries
,val moro the prevention and control
fires has been the subject of consta
study and work inNthe civilized worl
of Not until half century ago. hoWey.,
of science, which to-day Is engagil
Mt Importance or this work will be reco
10 the time and attention of the me
competent experts In the world, L
W nized when one considers that In t
United States there are scores
Is schools where firemen are trained.
has been commended that flreme
ae like poet. must be born, not MAJ
~ but experience proves that the tralnn1
lar schools maintained by the large cit
day of the country serve to weed out INC
avs whose alnbitio and qualifications