The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-06
curdc'y.

L
Bernhard couldn't get over the flimsiness and
general temporary nature of buildings.
"Ugh,' exclaimed the divine one, Il couldn't
summon enough courage even to sleep in one of
those wooden tents single night. What do you
do when a fire breaks out'
Had she attended the burning of that Boston
lodging house last Wednesday she would have
seen what dove burn up. Twenty-seven of
us did at that conflagration. And she would
have discovered herself quite right too in think
ing the flimsiness of our buildings to be danger
Gus for fire.
1t is the loose and flimsy nature of struc-
lures that makes insurance rates the high
est of any up-tO-date nation and transforms the
average city into a fire-trap. Couple with that
widespread carelessneSs in the of fire and
matches with negligence of reasonable precau-
tions and have the reasons for our annual
$3.50, 900 loss
Indiana is about as badly off as the average
state. Fire Marshal Longley's last estimate and
report gave one-fourth of buildings as very
bad risks. In city, chosen as typical of the
state, his inspectors discovered 40 out of 200
structures in poor shape from the fire point of
view.
And where buildings themselves are fairly
we'll protected the public abets the fire demons
by it's own carelessness. During the past six
months in this state ending November 3Oth
I'll fires were reported having originated
from matches and 6212 per cent Of these were
started by children. These youngsters cost the
commonwealth $25849 for their sport.
AS for city we have at present three
urgent needs before anybody has right to grow
very confident over the outlook: adequate build
ing inspection, motorization of fire equipment,
fighters.
The new building code and inspector will be
able to take of the first of these essentials
and Fire Chief Miller has already started a
movement for the second and third.
1t remains for the public to get behind the
movement for fire protection, because it is the
public that pays all the bills and stands all the
loss. Whenever and wherever fire occurs it is
the general public that foots the BILL 1t pays for
the loss through fire insurance rates and those
rates are determined by fire risk. If the risk
were lessened the rates would go down and a
slice taken off the crust of the high cost of
living.
But there is more than money involved since
human lives being lost every day. The
tWenty-seven poor fellows whose charred and
unidentified remains now lie in Boston morgues
represent more severe loss to the public than
the brittle structure in which they were Gre
mated
Feeling this need of getting the general pub
lie behind the efforts for fire prevention, the
New York department has issued the following
list of suggestions which we respectfully submit
to the carefulest consideration of our readers:
Don't block the fireescapes.
Don't depend your landlord; inspect for yourself.
Don't throw cigarettes cigars window; thew
may light awning.
Don't Allow children play with matches
Don't matches candles in dark or cellars
Don't keep matches in anything except a metal or tin
receptacle we'll covered
Don't toss away match unless it is extinguished
Don't fill lamps oil stoves while lighted
Don't coaloil in lighting fires.
Don't gasoline for cleaning purposes room with
open light fire.
Don't accumulate old bedding clothes in attic or
cellar
Don't neglect have chinnneys and flues cleaned
once