The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-03
People All Over The State
Should Observe The Day
Suggested That The Schools
Take Up The Matter
Hoped By This Method To
Diminish Fires In Ohio

Columbus, o., Sept 30-State Fire
Marshal John w. Zuber has issued the
bulletin on Fire Prevention
Day"
Governor Harmon has recently is
sued proclamation to the people of
Ohio, calling their attention to the
great problem confronting us by reas.
on of the enormous fire waste through
out the country annually, and designat-
ing October 9th, as day to be set
apart and to be known as Fire Preven-
tion Day On this day the Governor
recommends that "all owners of prop
erty take steps to see that their build
ings be thoroughly inspected for the
purpose of discovery and removal of
dangerous conditions therein; that all
civic authorities concerned in the pre-
vention OF fires take steps to call the
attention of the people OF their COM
munities to common fire dangers and
cooperate with them in every way
possible in correcting dangerous, con-
ditions; and that our school authori-
ties, both public and private, shall pro-
vide some means of impressing upon
the pupils in our schools the dangers
of fire and the methods of it's preven-
ton; all to the end that this enormous
waste may be lessened and eventually
stopped"
The action of the Governor in issu-
ing this proclamation is in line with
that taken by the Governors of num-
ber of the great states of the middle
west and it is hoped that another year
will see the movement thus inaugu.
rated nationwide in its extent
The date selected, October 9th, is
the Fortieth anniversary of the great
Chicago fire, conflagration which re-
suited, as we are told, from simple
act of carelesspess.
Doubtless many will say: well, il
1 knew what to do 1 should observe
this Fire Prevention Day; but every
thing is all right at our house." 1t is
the purpose of this bulletin to point
out some of the very common fire
dangers, whicn by reason of their very
familiarity are liable to be overlooked
Little more than bare reference can be
made to them as lack of space will
forbid more elaborate treatment:
Ashes Against Wood
This is one of the commonest of our
sins with respect to fire more fire.
quently found in the large tenements
in our great cities than in the country
and smaller towns. Ashes should never
be placed in wooden receptacle. If
conditions are such as to make 1t
| necessary to keep them for time
within a building let them be placed
| in metal receptacle and see also that
no grease or substance other than the
| ashes be placed in it. The report Of
Il Ill6 lOl lcuJ hinC-
teen fires to have resulted from ashes
being placed against wood, fence or
outbuilding. This number is less than
1t has been in some years, still, none
of these fire should ever have occur
red. Ash piles though long since grown
cold, are still dangerous, for they may
ignite spontaneous.
Defective FIues
Defective flues were the most pro
life source of fires in Ohio in 1909
the record showing 551 fires entailine
a loss of over s434,O0O. This is dan
ger common TO city and country alike
Flues, or chimneys should be looked
after frequently. No chimney should
be built on joists or posts, but shcult
be built from the ground or on solid
basement wall. If built on joists ol
otherwise than from the ground ol
wall, settling of the building is very
likely to crack the chimney.
But though properly constructed az
to foundation, the ordinary chimney II
subject to the natural effects of the
weather without and still more 81
from the action of the smoke which
disintegrates the mortar from within
This disintegration starts at the tol
and follows down, finally reaching thu
roof when fire may ensue from som'
vagrant spark wandering through !
crack where the mortar has fallel