The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-04-14
SPRING SEASONS WARNING.

Clean up. cries the esthetic because
he believes that at this season of the
year, when nature puts on her most
beautiful garb man should aid her in
making our surroundings as fresh,
clean and beautiful as possible. Clean
up, warns the health officer because
in dirt, dust, filth, debris and rubbish
lurk the germs of contagion and dis
ease. Clean up, we urge, because
these untidy conditions are great
fire danger. These conditions are ann
ually responsible for much loss of
property by fire.
This cleaning should extend from
cellar to garret, from house to out
buildings, alleys and yards. A flying
spark lodging, lighted match or live
cigar stub thrown carelessly into rub
bish in or outside buildings has caused
many disastrous fires. The chore boy
may carelessly throw a match or cigar
stub into the rubbish surrounding
barns or in barns, the clerk may throw
either into the rubbish of the basement
of business blocks where paper, eX-
celsior and other packing materials
are often allowed to accumulate; the
thoughtless passer-by may throw a
cigar stub through the iron grating
in the side walk into the dust and filth
below. Perhaps we cannot prevent
people from throwing matches and
cigars, much less sparks from flying,
but we can prevent the accumulation
of combustible and inhammable mat
erials, if we will.
1t is in filth and rubbish that most
of the Fourth-of-July fires start, it is
in these that careless children playing
with matches start a blaze, and half
the spontaneous combustion fires come
from dust and rubbish.
In this cleaning-up process the attics
should not be forgotten. In them dust
and spider webs accumulate and all
sorts of infammable stuff is often stOr-
ed awaw.
Attics are too often without ventila-
tion. Thus, when the fierce summer
sun beats down upon the roof the attic
becomes veritable furnace and
spontaneous combustion occurs in
the rubbish, dust, oily rags, highly
vanished pieces of furniture, oil, etc
Closets should get thorough over
hauling and all dust, oily rags, greasy
overalls and sweepings should be re-
moved. Closets under stairWayS are
especially dangerous. Dust and debris
may hide there and fire unuera -;air-
way often cuts off the only avenue Of
escape from upper stories.
Spring is the painting season and a
caution as to the handling and storing
of rags used in wiping vanished or
oily surfaces or wiping paint from
the painters hands, is timely. The
only safe place for such greasy rags is
the stove. Where kept for any length
of time, to be used again, they should
be stored in a substantial, covered
iron receptacle.
Paint and varnish rags and waste or
rags used to wipe oily parts of machin-
cry are liable to give rise to spontane-
Gus combustion. The likelihood Of
spontaneous combustion is four times
as great in the heat of summer as in
the cold of winter.
The writer was called to investigate
the cause and origin of n barn fire.
All doors of the barn were locked.
The barn was not in use except to store
things. The fire started on the inside.
How it started was a problem until the
investigator learned that two of the
family worked on railroad engines and
that they kept their greasy overalls,
waste and rags used in wiping engines
in this barn. Heat and spontaneous
combustion did the rest.
Again we say, Clean up,
Il. NJ. PURTELL.
State Fire Marshal,