The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-31
FIRES COST
TOO MUCH
Needless Loss in Ohio is Very
Heavy.
Due TO CARELESSNESS
Loss is, However, Beirg
Greatly Reduced.
Two Thirds of the Fires Occur in
Cities Having More Than Ten
Thousand Population.

The annual fire waste in Ohio Is
seven million dollars, nearly all of it
preventable'. in the rrst year of the
fire marshal department the loss was
eleven millions. While the property
owner can protect himself by insur-
ance against perhaps four-ffths of
the loss possible, other insured per-
sons pay It.
Added to the direct waste from fire
is the loss OF time OF employers in
stores and factories and the loss OF
customers by the owners. Careless
ness or inattention to known danger
IS responsible for three-fourths of the
fires and the other fourth are from ig-
norance except the small number
which are set with criminal intent
In spite of the fact that the amount
at risk has nearly doubled in eight
years, the fire loss has fallen SO ~
per cent.
AN ENORMOUS REDUCTION
This enormous reduction in the
proportion of loss TO amount at risk
'hpuih b' 'lfNlltu w lHNltdHtu ~
ficiency Of fire departments: better
waterworks; scientific examination of
large risks by inspection bureaus;
improved building codes methods and
the Introduction Of patural
gas and the inerficlency of well-sup-
ported fire marshal department.
The losses OF insurance companies
are little more than half the actual
loss. Insurance men, when asked
what proportion of the value of the
property in the United States Is COW
cred by insurance say 75 to 80 per
cent. The figures of the fire marshal
who gets reports of all fires, show
that in Ohio only SO "a per cent.
is covered by insurance.
FIRE COST IN UNITED STATES.
Every January statement OF the
amount of fire loss for the preceding
year in the United tates and Can
ada goes the rounds of the press.
This figure Is the footing of tabula-
tlons of losses made by the New York
Journal of Commerce from newspaper
reports. For 1907 IL Is $2l5, ,O71 ,25O.
The actual loss is probably one-third
ls much more.
For each dollar of the two hundred
and fifteen million paid in losses,
dollar was spent in gather
Ing and paying II over. Both dol
lars came out of the insurance prem
iums. To this should be added the
cost of fire departments, and water
Tor their use. In large cities this
cost of fire protection averages a
lollar and a quarter a year for each
man, woman and child. so, care
essness with fire, and neglect TO en-
'orce proper fire danger and building
ordinances costs in the United States
md Canada not less than three hun
lred million dollars--money spent for
private fire fighting apparatus not in
,luded.
The fire loss in Ohio is 81 81 per
,apita. In states having no fire
MARSHAL the average is $2.47 per
,apita In Dublin the loss Is y
'enbs head, while in Boston. an
IRISH American city of the same size,
{ Is S3.61.
IITY AND COUNTY COMPARED.
'rwo-thirds of the fires and over
lalf the losses from fires in Ohio oc-
'ur In cities of more than ten thous-
nd population. The farms, the viii
ages and cities of less than 10000
how but 33 per cent. of the fires and
N fant ~ hn 1agp no
ound value Of the property fired in
he larger cities Is 81 per cent. OF
he whole amount jeopardized in the
tate.
The per capita loss In cities OF over
en- thousand is 81 30; in small cities
nd the country it Is 81 .09.
Taking the state as whole the
Dss on buildings afire was 10 1-2 per
ent. of their sound value. In 1906
was 10 per cent. This shows in
reased inefflclency ofour fire fighting
rganizations.
FIRE WASTE REDUCED.
The service of the fire marshals de-
SO reduces the fire waste
hat the average premium on 800 OF
insurance in Ohio Is 81 16, while the
verage in adjoining states is 81 IS.
In the 1854 buildings fired with
)H of S.077,7O2, the loss which
'ould have resulted had not the fire
cen put out was $l5.46S,O90. The
gure given for the amount of value
ut in jeopardy does not include the
lss which would have occurred in
djoining buildings had the fire been
flowed 20 spread The insurance on
ne buildings in which fires occurred
'as $23,9S2, ,275.
ID. s. DREAMER,