The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-02-07
Uncle Sam Finds Fires Cause
a Daily Waste Of Almost
$1,500,000
MORE Than IN OTHER LANDS
,,vestiaation Shows That Predomin-
,ree Of Frame Buildings and De-
fective Construction Are
Largely Responsible.

ino to ancient Greek mythology, and
os a blessing brought by him to earth
IN a hollow reed after Zeus had de-
nrlved mankind of ii, levies upon Am
orleans each year an enormous tax
calculated by United States Govern
mont officials at almost a million and
half dollars a day and LAS lives a
wear. AS a result of an investigation
inst concluded by officials of the Unit
cd states Geological Survey 1t has
been ascertained that cheaper flreproof
materials can be used to advantage
in construction, that three to six times
the necessary amount of material is
babjtually used i'm structural work in
the United States, that the building
codes are laxly enforced, that the fire
loss in the United States is eight
times as much per capita as in any
country i'm Europe and that the great
fire waste in the United States Is due
principally to the predominance Of
frame buildings and to defective con-
struction and equipment.
by fire To government buildings and
the immense losses reported from the
country as n whole led the Geological
Survey to make an inquiry as to fire
losses i'm the United States and as to
their exact cost to the people. Tests
to determine the strength and fire re-
sstance of buldin materials are
still being made by the Survey, and
although these tests are designed pri-
marily to meet the needs of the Gov
ernment as the largest consumer their
results are available to anyone for
general use.
Not one person in a thousand knows
that the United States Government
owns buildings that cost more than
S3OO,OOO,OOO and is spending $2O000,OOO
year for new buildings. 1t win be
q surprise to everyone, too, to learn
that not one cent of insurance against
loss by fire is carried on these valu-
able buildings. Insurance at the or
binary rate would cost more than half
a million dollars a year, and the Gov
crnment avoids this great tax by com
Slructing buildings that are securely
flreproof.
TO attain this degree OF security
from fire for government buildings the
government has gone to considerable
expense and the results obtained fully
repay the outlay. From these tests
TO determine the strength and fire re-
sistance of building materials il has
been determined that American build
crs can with safety use cheaper fire.
proof materials than they do. 1t has
been learned that the difference In
cost between flreproof and inflammable
buildings is less than generally sup
posed and the officials predict that
this difference will soon become sc
small that It will cease to encourage
the construction of himsy buildings
II has been found that 4 'e To siS
times the necessary amou' of ma
terial is habltually used by american
builders in structural work. The me-
cessity also is shown for better build.
ing codes i'm cities and especially Of {
better enforcement of the codes already
enacted IL the present enormous fire
losses are to be diminished.
After a careful investigation 1t has
been determined that the total cos
Of fires in the United States in 1907
excluding that of forest fires and thu
marine losses lin themselves eXten
sive), but including excess cost of fir
protection due to bad construction anC
excess premiums over insurance paid
amounted to the enormous sum o
over S456,4S5.000, a tax on the Am
erican people exceeding the total valu
of all the gold. silver, copper ant
petroleum produced i'm the Unite'
states in that year. The cost Of build
ing construction in 1907 i'm fortynin
leading cities of the United States re
porting total population OF less thai
lSOOO,O00 amounted to $661 ,076. 2st
ana the cost of building construction
Tor the entire country is conserva
lively estimated at $1,000. .000.O 900. Thu
VIII be seen that nearly one-half q
the value OF all the new buildings con
suucted within one year Is destroy
ed by fire. The annual fire cost
greater than the value of the real pro
perty and improvements in eithe
Maine, West Virginia. North Caroline
North Dakota. South Dakota. Alabam,
Louisiana or Montana. In addition {
'hls waste OF wealth and natural re
sources, 1.449 persons were killed an
o'ef0 were injured in fires in tn
United States in 1907.
The Geological Surveys inquir,
which Is embodied In n report en-
u'ed The Fire Tax and Waste {,
Suuctural Materials in the Unite
states prepared by ". NJ. Wilson an
D. L. Cochrane OF the Survey. covere
not only the value OF property d
sroyed hut also the cost Of maintain
aug nre departments. the amount
insurance premiums paid. less N
amount returned. the cost OF protect,
"sehcies. the additional cost OF wat,