The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-08

Of the chief speakers at the recent in
Trnational municipal congress and ex-
position at Chicago. Mr.. Croker's sub
ject was "The Reduction of Fire
Waste" and his address was devoted
principally to the question of fire pre-
vention instead Of fire fighting. In
part Mr.. Croker said:
81 have fought the fire demon in
New York city for twenty-seven years,
twelve Of which were spent as the
ranking officer of the uniformed force.
Throughout these years 1 was steadily
and irresistibly led to the conclusion
that, while fire fighting and fire ex-
tinguishing organizations Of our great
modern cities hard reached n high state
of efficiency and were keeping well
abreast of the demands made upon
them, our citizens, as rule, paid too
little attention to the vital matter of
fire prevention.
1.-THE enormous fire waste Of the
United States varies from 5000, 100000
to $400,000,O00 annually, and the vast
ly greater indirect losses that result
seriously affect our economic and civic
progress. The loss of lives by fire is
one that cannot be realized save by
those unfortunates whose relatives
and friends have been lost il many
deplorable calamities.
Great Loss Unnecessary.
This utter destruction of more than
quarter of billion of dollars in
property in addition to the lives meal
culable in money value is not an act
of God nor one Of the inevitable
chances of industry and commerce.
"All that is necessary is to apply the
test of comparison with other coun-
tries of like civilization. In round
numbers the per capita fire loss in the
United States has been from 81 to 81
against 33 cents in the principal Eu-
ropean countries. One of the condi-
tions in these countries that operates
to effect lesser loss than here is the
larger use of noncombustible mate
rials due to the high cost of wood.
Another reason is the intangible influ-
ence of their older civilization, which
makes these people more careful of
small savings in all their affairs and
generally more cautious than we have
yet become.
But allowing for these fundamental
differences between the countries COM
pared, it is yet apparent that the fire
loss in the United States, which Is be-
tween seven and eight times that of
the greatest European country, is out
rageously and criminally greater than
it should be. 1t has been my observa-
ton that the large majority of fires
arise from preventable causes. In fact,
every fire of consequence is prevent
able.
"The subject of fire prevention is
vastly more important than that of fire
fighting. When one conflagration has
been checked or prevented you have
accomplished little. The chances for
repetition tomorrow are equally as
great.
What Is Fireproof.
"If we are to better conditions you
must realize that 'fireproof' is not fire
proof as 1t is understood today. The
literal definition remains, but many
crimes have been committed in its
name. I know of no more abused word
/ am sincere in the conviction that the
government should make 1t a heavily
punishable offense to apply the term to
anything but an absolutely fireproof
building.
There is but one principle to fire.
proof construction, be it either homes,
hotels, Office buildings, theaters, apart
ments, battleships, railway cars or
what. To have fireproof buildings
architects and owners must throw
aside precedent and eliminate the use
of combustible and semicombustible
materials in their construction.
"If had my way about it l would
not permit a piece Of wood, even the
size of lead pencil, to be used in the
construction or finish of any building
In the United States exceeding a
ground area of % by so feet or three
stories in height. If there was still an
absolute necessity for its use, if II
could not be replaced with steel, as il
has been in many modern construc-
tions, it would then be we'll to attempt
to conceive of something better. l am
opposed to the use of wood in any form
in fireproof buildings, and the law
ought not to permit its use. Wooden
floors, wooden window frames, doors
and castings burn and help other things
to burn; wooden trim and bases burn
everything that is made of wood burns
and helps the fire to spread. Eliminate
wOod-remove the cause, and you have
precluded the possibility of fires
"We have no department of our gov
eminent devoted to the matter of firt
prevention. Our laws on the subjec
are not specialized to completely cove
any particular building or business, al
though they could be made broat
enough in their general application t
go a great way toward partly solving
the problem.
Federal Action Suggested.
aft IA NV firm conviction that m,