The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-20

United States OF 1925, 100000 inevitable
and unpreventable, or can 1t be materially
-nitigated by means within our power!
Let us endeavor to appreciate the Importance
of This enormous waste: gather lessons oy
comparisons and see whether or not II is worth
while to set ourselves seriously to curb the
disastrous and appalling loss. What is the
cost of this Are waste? From the considera-
ton OF the subject, I exclude forest fires and
similar destruction which does not pertain 10
things gathered by the labor or man.
It Is true that the aggregate annual loss by
forest fires is huge Item, but we leave 1t out
of account. Apart from forest fires. the fire
waste In the United States during lSl1 by di,
rect combustion was S2366S0622 The added
cost OF maintenance Of fire departments. cost
OF waterworks systems chargeable to fire
service, distinct from domestic service, the
equipment OF private plants with private fire
prevention and protection appliances, the pay
ment of fire insurance premiums by the pub
lie IN excess OF the losses paid by the hre In
surance companies. but including the expense
of conducting the fire Insurance business.
amounted to $4,000 900 additional making a
total fire loss In 1911. direct and indirect, OF
s47s, $50, ,622.
Is this important? Then. again, no account
Is taken OF the loss sustained by property
owners owing to partial or complete stoppage
Of business. loss Of rents loss Of employment,
or the loss to municipalities In the wiping out
Of taxable values, These losses cannot be esti-
mated II dollars and cents with any degree OF
correctness.
1t may be argued that large portion of this
s47S.6S0622 is not actually wiped out For In
stance: fremen are employed, appliances are
purchased. etc. True. but the point Is that in
addition TO the fire waste large amount OF
capital and energy Is locked UP in unproductive
lines, in the same manner as is vast army
and navy The producing community is taxed
to provide for this gigantic amount of unpro-
ductive capital Let look at the matter In
another light. According to the above statistics
(Which. by the way. are authoritative). sum
approximating s4So,ooo000 is diverted annu-
ally to direct and indirect fire waste. What
does this represent II capitalized at per cent
the legal rate being that or mora? No less
a sum than So 500, 100000!
In recent issue OF financial journal,
the American Bankers Association published
statistics showing that the combined assets Of
all the savings banks, plus all the State banks,
plus all the National banks. plus all the build
Ing and loan associations plus accumulations
OF life insurance companies In the United
States, amounted to $500. 100000. Startling
figures. truly; 1t needs. however. more than
the equivalent OF that immense amount Of
capital to provide annual funds, sufficient at
per cent interest to pay the fire cost OF this
country. Hence 1t results that every man.
woman and child In the United States Is IN
OF take a family of five persons, $685., for no
other purpose than indemnity for fire cost, d.
rect and Indirect Is this important?
About one,half Of the s236,6S0,622 Of direct
were totally destroyed, more less dam
aged The other half was upon the furniture,
merchandise. ETC., contained In the buildings.
Beside this vast property loss, there were
close upon 1000 persons who lost their lives
and nearly 10000 injured.
The fires that cost these lives, injuries and
property loss occurred In 1e5250 buildings,
and the average damage to each building and
its contents was 81, ,432. Now, what do these
figures mean? Who really comprehends their
Bignificance2 We speak glibly of million, or
Of hundred millions. but these figures convey
no adequate impression to our minds; they
create vivid pictures. Suppose 1t were pos
Eible to bring these 165,250 buildings that
were visited by fire last year all together, and
to place them end to end, how far would they
reach? Well, the buildings damaged or de-
etroyed In one year would extend all the way
from New York to San Francisco! That is
what the annual fire loss in the United States
represents; closely built up line OF houses,
over three thousand miles long.
The Hon. Herbert M. Wilson, Chief Engineer
OF the United States Geological Survey
Bureau, made public some of the excellent re-.
suits obtained by the Bureau In It's efforts to
conserve the created resources Of the nation
In an analysis OF effects, the fact stood out
prominently that much Of the fire waste was
due to fires extending beyond the limits of the
buildings IN which they originated Exact fig
ures were not obtainable by the Bureau but a
estimate indicated that at least
80 per cent Of the losses resulted from fires
beyond the building Of origin Thus
Dne.third Of the total fire losses Ii the United
States due to the infammable construction
Of American buildings.