The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-15
On ElRE


'I||I ~.
coiiingwood. sl6cum. Iroqaols Thea
ter aud cnnnohsburg tragedies are
Isopn FORGOTTEN. 4
II seems ridiculous thai d people so
4 apt and 50 eager to seek out and dc.
stroy the mysterious and hidden enc.
niles OF mankind. should be 60 slow
and sluggish In lighting a foe so plain.
| ly in sight and SO readily Yanquished.
We have led the world in seeking out
the causes OF pestllence and removing
them: We are in the very vanguard
Of the battle against tuberculosis, ty.
Uphold land yellow fever And stu we
stand apart and let the older nations
lead the fight against an enemy much
more easily conquered, p
It Is not strange that have al.
lowed ourselves 10 stand still lin the
matter Of fire prevention while we
have made such progress in other ma.
lions? ~
Each year shows on Increase in loss
of life and record ot;iHiuries, the hu.
man sacrifice keeping pace with the
increased fire waste.
Each year s25O,OOO,1OO OF tangible
value is wasted by fire.
Each minute OF each day OF each
year sees $4,000 in value rising in
flame and smoke, leaving an ash pile
as its prey.
Each year the fire loss equals some.
thing more than $2.65 per capital for
| $95,OOO,OOO OF our population. Each
year this needless loss equals tax
Of $500 for each family of five indl.
vlduals. Each year shows record of
one fire for every $50 of our popula.
| ton. The question naturally arises:
1 Why such loss; why such heavy
lax?
The fire departments are doing a
grave and noble work. In our own
city the fire fighters reach a fire In
the business section In remarkably
ishorb period OF time after=the alarm
i rs given. The cities throughout the
United States seem to be doing their
duty in equipping fire departments,
but that does not stop the waste. Il
must come back after all to the indi.
vidual. This one thing should be
borne In mind: ALL FIRES ARE
1.-THE SAME SIZE AT THE START,
and the vital time in the life OF every
| fire is the five minutes between the
time OF discovery and the time OF the
arrival OF the fire department, In
which time. 1t gains sufficient foot.
hold to become a dangerous blaze.
Every fire Is the personal responsi-
bility OF the occupant OF the building
for the first FIVE minutes OF its life.
|t,What then seems to be the duty OF
every citizen. is clear enough. 1t
should be the business Of the occupant
of every building in conjunction with
the owner thereof, to equip the build
fling with those means so common for
cxtinguishing the fire at Its begin.
ming.
1t is said that the State capitol at
Albany, N. Y. which recently sustain.
led loss OF $6,OO0.O in addition to
the loss OF documents and records OF
priceless value, that the fire at Its be.
ginning, could have been easily put
out with a pail or two or water. We
searched In vain. says man who was
N the building when the fire started
| for anything to serve the purpose
The night Waterman ran down stairs
10 sound the. alarm, there being nc
alarm In the building, while We walt
ed for the department, the fire did
its work. This bIilding which cost
100000; was not equipped with fire
'alarm, chemical extinguishers or ever
pals Of water, and testimony OF ar
eye witness shows that the fire was
small blaze when 1t started.
l We have compared the advance
mcnt OF the United States with thu
advancement OF European countries II
The matters of business, education
| fine arts and health, and We can com
| pare favorably. indeed we have eS
ccllcd In many of these things, bu
when we compare our fire record will
that OF Continental Europe We hav,
| nothing OF which to boast. In con-
paring statistics, covering, SIX OF tn
iii IIo,1i,, Euronnan countries ilcludln