The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-12-14
all railroads. It exceeds the revenue
Of the national postofice; it is great
er than the production OF gold or Sill

yer.
The annual number of fires in
American cities average forty for each
ten thousand of population, as COM
pared to eight Of each ten thousand
population in European cities. The
annual per capita loss in Australia,
Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and
Switzerland varies from twelve cents
in Italy to forty-nine cents in Ger
many, with an average OF thirty-three
cents; in the United States the aver
age is $2.47. Berlin has a population
Of three million. Its average annual
fire loss is one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars. Chicago with its
population Of two million burns up
annually nearly five million dollars
of values. We destroy more property
by fire than do any four nations in
Europe
The National Fire Protection as
sociation has been steadily engaged
in an effort to reduce in some meas.
ure this enormous and dispropo1ti ton
ate waste. Through our active MEM
ber, the National Board of Fire I'm
derwriters, a model building code
buted to officers Of all municipalities
who could be interested. Through
the same organization expert fire pro-
lection engineers visit all OF the prln-
cipal cities Of the country and make
extensive reports on the conflagration
conditions. In our own organization
we have appointed large number of
committees, each one of which has
perfected model specifications in va
rious branches of fire protection en-
cheering and in the field covered by
fire prevention.
Another publication covers speci-
tications for automatic sprinkler in
stallations, outlining in detail the
methods to be. followed in equipping
buildings with the most useful and
successful extinguishing agent. Pub
locations of a similar character which
have been distributed in editions Of
many thousands and which are freely
used by property owners, architects,
insurance boards, and others inter-
ested, include specifications for the
construction and installation of fire
doors and fire windows, fire shutters,
electrical signalling systems affecting
the fire hazard valves and hydrants,
hose, suggestions for organizing pri-
vate fire departments, and various
forms Of building construction. Speci-
fications for safeguarding hazardous
appliances and systems coming under
the general head Of explosives and
combustibles have been issued includ-
ing films for moving picture machines,
systems for storing fluids which at
ordinary temperatures give off in
fiamable vapors, acetylene gas ma
chimes, gasoline vapor gas lighting
machines, lamps and systems. engines
and stoves, rules for waste cans, ash
cans, refuse barrels, fire pals and
safety cans for benzine and gasoline,
storage and use of fuel oil, kerosene
oil pressure systems:s4nd also sug-
gestion for protection against light
ming.
I'VE are issuing from time to time
circulars and copy for newspapers on
both the common and the periodical
causes of fire. such as the hazards Of
Christmas decorations and displays,
the menace Of the match, the hazards
Of defective chimneys and f!ues, and
also the proper season warnings as to
celebrations Of the national holidays,
particularly the Fourth of july