The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-13
What Fires Cost Everyone Bread and Butter Lawrence
Everybody in America Has to Pay, in the Form of Hill
Cost of Living, for Our Careless Habits with Matches
Cigarettes, and for Recklessy Constructed Buildings

US the average direct annual fire loss IN the
United States Of 25,000.o00 inevitable
L and unpreventabe, or can 1t be materially
mtigated by means within power7
Let endeavor to appreciate the Importance
of this enormous waste: gather lessons by
comparisons and whether or not 1t is worth
while to set ourselves seriously to curb the
disastrous and appalling loss What Is the
cost of this fire waste? From the considerac
ton Of the subject. exclude forest fires and
similar destruction which does not pertain to
things gathered by the labor Of man.
1t 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 1911 by di.
rect combustion was s236680622. The added
cost OF maintenance OF fire departments, cost
OF waterworks systems chargeable to fire
service, az 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
surance companies, but including the expense
of conducting the fire insurance business.
amounted to s24200o.O00 additional. making
total fire loss in 1911 direct and indirect, Of
s478.6s0,622.
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 wping out
OF taxable values These losses cannot be esti-
mated IT dollars and cents with any degree OF
correctness.
II may be argued that large portion of this
s47s .6so,622 is not actually wiped out. For In
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 us look at the matter in
another light According to the above statistics
(Which. by the way, are authoritative), a sum
approIimating $3.50, 100000 is diverted annu-
ally to direct and indirect fire waste. What
does this represent If capitalized at per cent
the legal rate being that more? No less
than 50 COO 100000!
In a 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 accumuatons
OF life insurance companies, In the United
States. amounted to s9,5oo,ooo,ooo. Startling
figures, truly! II needs, however, more than
the equivalent of that immense amount OF
capital TO provide annual funds. sufficient at
per cent interest 10 pay the fire cost OF this
woman and child in the United States is in.
directly assessed per cent upon about s107.
or take family OF FIVE persons. $685.. for no
other purpose than indemnity for ire cost d.
rect and indirect. Is this important?
About one-half Of the s236.6so.62 OF direct
fire loss in 1911 was upon buildings which
we're totally destroyed, or more less dam.
aged. The other half upon the furniture.
merchandise. etc. contained in the buildings.
Bes!Qe tNlS 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 165,25O buildings,
and the average damage to each building and
It's contents S1.432. Now, what do these
figures mean? Who really comprehends their
significance? We speak glby of million. or
of hundred millions, but these figures convey
no adequate impression TO our minds; they
create no vivid pictures. Suppose 1t were pos
5ible to bring these 165.250 buildings that
were visited by fire last year all together, and
TO place them end 10 end, how far would they
reach? Well. the buildings damaged or de.
stroyed In year would extend all the way
from New York TO San Francisco! That is
what the annual fire loss in the United States
represents; a closely built up line of houses
over three thousand miles long.
The Hon: Herbert NJ. Wilson, Chief Engineer
Of the United States Geological Survey
Bureau, made public some Of the excellent re-
suits obtained by the Bureau in its efforts to
conserve the created resources of the nation
In 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
conservative estimate indicated that at least
30 per cent OF the losses resulted from fires
extending beyond the building OF origin. Thus
onethird Of the total fire losses in the United
States due to the infammable construction
of American buildings.