The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-08
FIRE LOSS IN THE
 UNITED STATES Buildings Are Not Properly Constructed to Resist Fire. COST TO THE PEOPLE
Buildings and Pays No Insurance, While the People Lose Heavily
 Year by Yenr.

Washington, February 7.-Fire, stolen from heaven by Prometheps, according to ancient Greek mythology. and as a bless reed after Zeus had deprived mankind of it. levies upon Americans each year an enormous tax calculated by United States government officials at almost s1,- 100000 day and f4s lives year. As a result of an investigation just concluded by officials of the United States geologi- cal survey it has been ascertained that cheaper fireproof materials can be used to advantage in construction, that three to six times the necessary amount of ma- terial is habitually used in structural work in the United States. that the build ing codes are laxly enforced, that the fire loss in the United States Is eight times as much per capita as in any country in Europe and that the great fire waste in the United States is due principally to the predominance of frame buildings and to defective construction and equipment.
 Contrast between the small losses by fire to government buildings and the im- mense losses reported from the country as whole led the geological survey to make an inquiry as to fire losses in the United States and as to their exact cost to the people. Tests to determine the strength and fire resistance of building materials are still being made by the sur vey. and although these tests are de- signed primarily to meet the needs of the government as the largest consumer, their results are available to anyone for gen. eral use.
 Cost of Buildings.
 Not one person in 1000 knows that the United States government owns buildings that cost more than $ao0.O00.000 and is spending 900 year for new build- ings It will be a surprise to everyone, too, to learn that not one cent of in- surance against loss by fire is carried on these valuable buildings. Insurance at the ordinary rate would cost more than $50o,0o0 year, and the government avoids this great tax by constructing buildings that are securely freproof.
 To attain this degree of security from fire for government buildings the gov ernment has gone to considerable expense and the results obtained fully repay the outlay. From these tests to determine the strength and fire resistance of build. ing materials 1t hes boon determined that American builders can with safety use cheaper fireproof materials than they do. It has been learned that tho difference in cost between fireproof and inflammable buildings is less than generally supposed and the officials predict that this diff ference will soon become 50 small that it will cease to encourage the construction of nimsy buildings. It has been found that three to six times the necessary amount Of material is hahitually used by American buildsrB in structuA work. The necessity als is shown for better building codes in cities and especially of . bot ter enforcement of tho codss already en- acted if the present enormous fire lossei are to be diminished.
 Total Cost of Fires.
 After Q careful investigation it hAi been determined that the total cos of fires in tho United States in 1901 excluding that of forest fires and ths ----