The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-05
NEEDLESS FIRES
RUNNING NATION
>---- --- -----------
Wentworth Discusses stagger-
ing Losses Caused By
Carelessness.
SINGLE ROOF IS a CRIME
Engineers Now Trained to Pre-
vent Risk--Buildins Codes
Necessary.
SINGLE ROOF is a CRIME

Fireioss In the United states is re-
eponsiblc for the high cost OF living
Is indirect taxation upon every man.
woman and child, and is impoverish-
Ing the nation. according 10 Franklin
IL Wentworth. Of Boston secretary
and treasurer Of the National Fire Pro.
lection Association. who made an ad.
dress last night III tho auditorium OF
the jefferson Hotel under the auspices
OF the Richmond Credit Mems Asso-
clation. statistics Of tho associations
SAID Mr.. Wentworth. show that in this
country s25o000,0 900 goes UP in smoke
every year, and that this colossal sun,
shows no signs OF dimlnshin He
attributed the terrific damage 20 care
lessness OF tho American people, who.
nc said are Indifferent because they
have been educated to feel that tho
Ia ttonal resources are unlimited
Though the audience which heard
Mr. Wentworth was small 1t was.
nevertheless. deeply Interested Cover
nor Mann was among those present
and invited by Colonel John S. IIar-
wood president OF the credit men, TO
seat on the stage; Charles B. Meek,
fof New York, secretary and treasurer
Of the National Credit Mems Associa.
ton, also spoke and told OF the work
Of his organization In aiding in the
fight looking towards lessenins the
conflagrat(on hazard In this country
Along other things Mr.. Wentworth
said.
we see so many stories of fire dis
aster In the daily papers that they do
not appear to us as disasters. Wo
read OF fire loss OF 100000 without,
interest In Europe a. Gre loss al
100000 calls for an investigation In
SIX European countries the fire loss
per Year is SO cents per capita, whilo
lin the United States TT So
Fifteen years go a small hand OF
engineers determined 10 Investigate
the fire losses in New England The
fisk III that territory was too great
and the engineers got together to look
INTO the situation. They discovered
that 60 per cent. of the fires could he
traced to some specific cause. The
risk III New England had become so
refused TO take the hazards
Al. that time the profession Of hre
protection engineer was unheard OF.
but since the Investigations conducted
by those men it has developed into
q college course.
Safeguards INSTALLED.
Their work brought about changed
conditions In the matter OF less floor
area the installation of fire walls, IRE
doors, enclosed elevator shafts and
other forms of protection.
There was no impulse TO do these
things until the fire Insurance com
panies forced the factories 10 make
the changes Forced TO do-then,
American-lilsc. they solved the proh.
lem
The automatic ceiling sprinkler is
the most perfect fire protection sys-
tenn. Every building should be equip
ped with them. and they will inevita-
bly, be used in all mercantile houses
and will materially reduce the IRE
TAX which Is impoverishinS tho coun-
try.
4 code prepared by our association
standardizlng all fire hazards has been
adopted by the National Board of
Fire Underwriters
The movement for a sane Fourth
of July and flreless Christmas was
started by the National Fire Protec
tion Associations But We saw mat
10 advance the cause we must go out
among the people. We started a
magazine OF our own, and now We
have the cooperation OF the press in
aiding in this educational campaign
TO teach the American people that our
g. sonfiagration tax must be lessened.
The insurance companies will admit
that the fire tax is too great
stngEerine LOSS.
This tremendous loss Of s250.o0o,-
600 annually has been going on for
year after year. People are feeling
the impoverishins effects, but don't
know the cause Fire rates touch the
pockets of every man. woman and
child. It is Indirect taxation, and
part Of the complaint against the high
cost OF living. This colossal tax ia
impoverishing the nation.
We must reduce the conf,agration
hazards, we must fortify the business
districts AGAINST fire; we must have
ample water supplies and sufficient
pressure. and. above all things. abolish
the single roof.
THE Single roof is not a roof-it
is crime. In strong wind shingles
become flying 1rebrands and have
caused some of the worst conflagra-
lions In the history Of this country.
Mr.. Wentworth pointed out the ne
costly for. building codes in all cities
which Will make imperative the es-
tabishment of adequate fire districts
by suitable buildings