Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-02
FIRE
WARNINGS ARE
SENT BROADCAST
Bureau OF Combustibles Dis.
tributes Important Circular to
Churches, Schools and Halls.

realizing tina. Yuletide with its cele-
brations may be productive Of fire.
Captain c.. Albert Gasser, of the
Bureau of Combustibles and Fire
Risks, today sent by mail and messen-
ger to all the big stores, churches,
schools, halls and places OF amusement.
particularly where children are wont to
c~cngregate, a circular designed to pre-
vent Are and the possible loss of life.
The circular is as follows;
Every year about this time store
keepers decorate their windows for the
holidays; teachers, principals and
clergyrnen plan entertainments and
children everywhere are getting ready
for the Christmas season.
The price paid for this unusual ac-
tivity and display always includes a
number Of deaths and the loss of thou
sands of dollars by fire, nine-tenths
of which is due to carelessness and the
rest to ignorance.
This life and fire loss is unnecessary.
Fire may be avoided by the use of a
little common sense, and your atten-
ton is therefore directed to the serious
hazard which accompanies the Christ
mas spirit.
In store window decorations cotton
batting. colored paper and light fabrics
of a highly infammabie nature
should not be used unless they
have been dipped in a chemical solu-
tion TO render them non-combustible.
Ca flames should be protected by a
globe, chimney or screen. and all com
bustible material should be kept remote
from such flame. Do not put colored
paper over electric light globes, rs the
e is sufficient to start a blaze. See
hat all show windows are ventilated.
Hot. dry air means spontaneous COM
bustion. Keep one or two fire extin-
guishers near every show window, ready
for quick use in case of fire a pail of
dry sand may be worth it's weight in
gold to smother a fire.
In schools, churches and halls,
sheet tin or zinc should be placed
under every Christmas tree to catch
candle ~drippings. Sand, water or fire
extinguishers ought to be kept in the
most convenient place for instant use.
Exits should be marked by red lights
and kept free and clear. Every Santa
Claus costume of flannel or other quick
~ burning material, with its cotton
batting trimmings and its false beard
and wig, should be dipped in solution
TO make it fi%reproof. No gathering of
children should be permitted unless
every known ~precaution against fire
and panic has been taken by those in
charge.
In private homes before the candles
on Christmas trees are lighted, see that
several pals or basins are filled with
water in the kitchen. They may be
needed in a great hurry. Use cotton
batting sparingly. or, better still, not
at all. Fire will fash over the surface
of this material and make a big blaze.
1t burns with great heat because every
hbre carries a tube of oxygen TO sup
port combustion. Have a good-sized
rug handy. If the clothing of anyone
gets a1re do not attempt to beat out
the flames with your hands. but wrap
the victim in the rug and press down
to smother the fire. A gas
flame will set fire TO paper, muslin and
similar material even though such stuff
be eighteen or twenty inches above the
flame.
The one chief object OF this bureau
is to prevent fire and thus indirectly
save human lives and property. Your
intelligent cooperation will be very
much appreciated. We want Newark's
record TO be absolutely clean IL pos
stble.