The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-12-15
flAus IN III SiAIt
DEEMC1IyE FLvEs C.itsE GREAT
a...Nl- OF T.Eii.
Suggestions From Insurance CoH'-
missioner NcNEster.

Maybe Nero would enjoy It. but
a man who realizes the labor and
time that 1t has taken South Carolina
10 produce s2,50o.000 Is distressed
wien he knows that SO much was
burned up In less than one year.
Commissioner F.. H. McAaster. will
say. In making 20 Governor Aneel
and the general assembly the third
annual report for the. State depart
ment Of insurance.. =
The reported Are insurance. losses
Of South Carolina for the IL months
ending December, i. 1910, were
$s87,5s5.l7. Saya the eoma,!ssion-
er:
"The actual Losses. reported and
unreported, were probably three
times that much The losses by
months were, as reported:
January, s26,6ss.94; February,
s100,33o.24; March, s113,S8S.36;
April, s131. iii S.74; May, s76,52o.o2;
June, s33,l54.77; July, s1s4,2l4.sl;
August, sG5.7s9.93; September.
$54,049.10; October, $S7,162.02;
November. s84,0S7.1s.
The largest losses in the State for
the year we're: The Charleston con-
1agration, 8 firms, total loss $215.-
s49, insurance loss, s189,757; the
n. w. Alderman 6 Sons lumber
plant. Alcolu, loss $500; the San
tee River Cyress Lumber company
plant at Ferguson. loss S5s,42o;
Sumter, firms, loss $4,000; Tim
nousvllle. 7 firms, loss S13,501.
Out Of 1919 fires. 867 were OF un-
known origin, sparks on roofs. caused
SO and lightning Is held responsible
for. rs, while II are set down as in
cendiary. Defective. chimneys or fues
caused 80. fires. In 29g cases the ex-
plosion of lamp wrought the havoc.
Along this line, the commissioner
has some words Of criticism and sug-
gfstion:
1T must be kept in mind that not
cniy are the uninsured losses loss to
the State, but that the insured losses
merely represent premiums collected
from all Of the people and paid to
those who suffered. If these losses
couli be cut IN half, premium re-
ceIpts could be cut in half elatively,
and would remain in the pockets Of
thosa who now pay them.
1T will he noted that 25 fires were
traced directly to rats and matches.
Among the CIT fires from unknown
causes a very large percentage Of
them were supposed to have original
ed from friction matches by one
means or another. 1t IS believed that
it would be profitable for the State,
o. for municipalities to forbid the
sale of the ordinary friction match.
"Eighty-nine fires came from de-
fectiye fues. These may be charged
to the incompetence of the brlcklay-
ers who made these flues. If the old
English system Of guilds was recog-
nized and enforced by law: and no
enc permitted to build q chimney
until he had served his apprentice
ship, the people of the State would
be sare1 many dollars.
"Twenty-eight fires were caused by
sparks from chimneys. Ninety-three
more by sparks on roof--121 fires
chargeable to wooden shingles. All
tf these could have been saved, and
'ower insurance .ra.es would have
Deen paid II metal, slate or compost
ton roofing had been used. These
elements, together with the extra
time needed to put On single roof.
makes this the most expensive roof
Ing material, besides being a constant
menace In extending fires from house
to house"