The Somerset reporter., 1909-03-18
A Proper Building Code.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WASHINGTON


EDITOR REPORTER, Skowhegan, Maine.
Dear Sir
As citizen OF Skowhegan, l have
been interested in the support you
have given, in the columns of the
REPORTER, to the question of local
fire protection. The purity and ade-
quacy of the municipal water supply
is matter that SHOULD be given first
consideration by the town fathers,
though it is worthy of note that a
committee of representative women
first dared to suggest the dangers
lurking in the drinking water furnish
ed our school children. The press
does we'll to criticise all who are ac-
cessories In the concealment of the
truth in any vital issue like this.
Important, however, as is the water
problem in Skowhegan, and to my
mind it is the most important, there
is another matter to be considered.
In view of the excessive fire losses
suffered By the town of Skowhegan in
the last few years, it is opportune to
discuss not only fire protection but
the removal of the factors of danger.
/ have noticed that there is under
consideration the adoption of some
building restrictions and | wish to
add my endorsement of this method
of fire protection by means of a prop
er building code. The disregard of
structural protection against fire is
not limited to our own town but is
common throughout the country.
For several years the United
States Geological Survey has been
engaged in the study of the struc-
tural materials available for use
| by the Government and an i'm
portart phase of this investigation
concerns fire proof materials. The
results thus far secured have value
not only for the bureaus entrusted
with the construction of the Govern
ments public buildings but also for
all builders. Within the past few
months the Survey has collected in
| formation of statistical character
on the subject of fire losses in the
United States and through lack of
knowledge concerning the qualities
of building materials condition ex-
lists which is unparalleled i'll any
other part of the world.
Fires are costing us nearly half a
billion dollars every year, or five
times as much per capita as in any
country of Europe. This is not only
true of the actual waste of property
destroyed but also in the amount OF
fire insurance paid and the cost of
fire departments. The total cost of
fires in the United States in 1907 was
S456, 200, 900, this including excess
premiums over insurance paid, addi-
tional water works expense, mainten-
ance of fire departments and the cost
of private fire protection. The actu-
al fire waste amounted to S215, 000,0 900,
which is per capita loss of $2.51 as
against 33 cents per capita i'll the six
leading countries of Europe.
If we had the same building condi-
tions as i'll Europe our fire waste
would be but S41, 100000, instead of
S215, 900, 900, and the total cost would
be but $4,000, 900, instead of 1856,
1 100000. While we are wasting five
times as much property per capita as
Europe, we are also destroying in these
fires five times as many lives as are
lost in the other countries. In 1906,
according to the United States census,
5000 persons died of burns, in the
United States, and perhaps 10000
were badly injured.
Experts who have studied these
conditions declare that with the
newness of this country the science
of construction has not become as
we'll settled as in other countries;
that our general ignorance of the
strength and fire resistance qualities
of materials is responsible for the
enormous losses; that as a result oi
this ignorance hundreds of cities and
villages have building codes that
would be considered disgrace to 6
we'll regulated European city. They
show that no other country suffers
such enormous confiagration losses
and declare that their investigations
have disclosed that an incre ase in the
number and severity of conhagrationt
may be expected until there is a de-
cided improvement In the method o.
construction. They declare that the
dangers of confiagration is present il
every city and village in the United
States and with it the possibility o.
large loss of life; that in spite of the
most efficient fire departments in the
world all human efforts are powerless
when once a fire gets under consider
able Roadway in a locality where bao
construction prevails.
The National Fire Protective Asso
citation ON this subject, says:
"The average American city is full
of firetraps, buildings of great areas
without fire cut offs, with large floor
openings, with unprotected windows
and with their combustible contents
are too numerous to provide an ex-
ception to any rule. These are con-
f1agration breeders. Fire travels
through them rapidly and under GER
tain conditions can get beyond the
best fire department., and sweeping
through the unprotected windows oil
buildings surrounding will soon cause
a conf1agration."
The recent fire in an opera house il
Mexico, in which $50 people were
either burned or tramped to death,
recalls vividly the terrible disasters
which have occurred in the United
States in the last few years. The
Iroquis Theatre fire in Chicago, De-
cember 80, 1908, in which 800 persons
lost their lives, was terrible object
lesson. January 10, 1908 fire in an
opera house In Boyerstown, Pa, cost
the lives of nearly 200 women and
children. Two months later, March
d, 1908, 1876 children were burned to
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