The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-13
p er cent on $685. to Pay the Fire Fiend

for them AS we are beginning, however, to
conserve our forest lands. may come to
consider that the things ones hands have
created may also be worth saving We may
come to look with disfavor upon buildings of
excessive height and floor area without ade-
quate fire cutoffs. with huge floor openings
demand that the so-called fireproof building
shall be really freproof. knowing that steel
work improperly insulated, will buckle in a
hot fire, even If the whole structure does not
collapse entirely.
In the rush into concrete building now evi.
dent. we may come to demand honest mixtures
Of cement, and the use of sand sharp enough
to bind the concrete properly, instead of the
smooth water-worn pebbles that will aid the
the action of heat and water We may cease
our folly In making floors ten inches thick
and enclosing stairs and elevators in wall of
equal thickness to prevent the spread OF fire
from floor to floor. and then leave our window
protection to one-eighth inch window glass
when strong and ire-resisting glass held In
metal frames is available
A fire In the congested district OF New York
City. covering one-tenth of the area burned In
the San Francisco conflagration OF 1906 would
put every fire insurance company In the coun-
try out of business. It Is we'll recognized
among expert fire protection engineers that the
San Francisco catastrophe, Baltimore and
Chelsea fires may be duplicated any day in
New York City, provided fire starts in the
right place on windy night. The recent fire
In the Equitable Building came within an ace
Of causing conhagration. the results of which
would have been terrible to contemplate
There is scarcely a city in the United States
which does not offer conditions ripe for de.
vastatng fires.
If we compare the official figures showing
the actual property loss by fire In the largest
cities OF the United States in 1910, with that
OF like number OF European cities possess.
Ing about equal populations we arrive at
startling contrasts For instance London.
England. with population Of 1882 963 had
property loss by fire amounting to s1.2S6.700;
per capita loss Of 80 cents. New York City,
with population OF 4766.ss3, lost property
valued at S10.5S2,330; per capita loss Of s2.22.
Paris, France. with population OF 2,S46946.
had property, loss by fire aggregating S1.16S-
723; a per capita loss of II cents Chicago
ILL.,. with a population OF 2.1S5,2S3, suffered a
property loss of s6.o48.soO; per capita loss
of S2,76. Berlin, Germany, with population
or 2O64,153. lost property valued at 1903, $40;
a per capita loss Of IA cents. Philadelphia,
Pa, with population Of 1,549.00S, lost So, $780,.
$50 of property values by fire; per capita
loss of s1.73 Dresden. Germany with popu.
lation of 55o.ss2. suffered property loss Of
S68.324; a per capita loss Of II cents Boston,
Mass, with a population of 670,5S5, lost prop
erty valued at S3.451. S18; per capita loss Of
s514
Leeds, England, with population of 43o,s6o.
lost property valued at s1S2. $50; per capita
loss OF AZ cents Pittsburgh. Pr with a popu-
latfon of 533905, had property loss of S979,.
253; a per capita loss Of S1.S3 These instances
are by no means exceptional; they represent
good general averages.
What tremendous drain this annual fire
waste Is upon our resources, national munich.
pal and Individual! 1t Is sapping the strength
of the nation The question Is, does 1t pay In
the long run! If not can the community be
that 1t may set to work in earnest to nut its
house In order by preventing what Is preventa.
Die and eliminating dangerous fire hazards
which should never be allowed to exist?