Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-01


lect causes the destruction Of our
property by fire.
Good fire prevention Is built around
three distinct ideas. First, the best fire
protection possible to secure. Second, a
better construction of our buildings and
care of those already constructed. And
lastly. and most important of all MAX
ing the people as a whole use greater
care in the handling of this dangerous
element.
You people of Bangor are to be con-
graduated on the efficiency of your fire
department, composed of men as it is
who realize their duty and are ever
ready to answer the calls of your citi-
zens. Now gentlemen be fair with your
department, give that department the
support that 1t deserves and when the
chief in good faith asks for additional
equipment see that he gets it. To my
mind an auto chemical combination
would be of great value to yotir munich
patty. 1t is a costly piece of apparatus
TO be sure yet I believe 1T would save
your city many times its cost each year
Under your recently adopted building
code better construction of your build
ings Is assured But remember that
code is only of value to your community
if it is fairly and impartialiy enforced.
The inspection of buildings as they now
exist by members of your fire depart
ment looking to the removal of the
numerous fire hazards cannot but be OF
benefit and you owe 1t to yourselves to
cooperate in the heartiest manner with
the men making the inspection and in
seeing that their recommendations are
carried into effect. Now comes the
hardest part of the fire prevention
movement and the one that requires
persistent effort on our part to bring
into being. and that is the bringing
home to the individual an adequate con-
ceptions of the responsibility that he
owes to his family, to the community in
which he lives and to himself.
Take the ordinary American business
man for example. ne locks his valuable
papers in a fire proof safe deposit vault
and then permits his family to reside
in a wooden timber box, in many in
stances In a veritable fire trap. He
must be brought to a realization that
this safety first movement should COM
mence with the home.
This of necessity must be brought
about by a campaign of education
through the schools, from the platform,
lions as yours, the Grange, tine Wom-
ems Clubs, and by the Press.
An intelligent study of our more COM
mon fire causes show us that to reduce
our fire loss we must II possible elimi-
nate the defective chimney which dur
ing the year 1913 was responsible for
approximately one-fffth of the many
fires we suffered in this State. The diff
erent municipalities must pass ordi-
use of the wooden shingles in our
building construction. It is needless for
me to tell you people OF Bangor the de-
structive properties possessed by the
single roof. You have had a frightful
example brought WILDLY before you in
your confia grafton. There must be in
augurated a thorough and complete
electrical inspection of our many build
ings looking to elimination of defective
wiring which is very prevalent fire
cause. We must be brought to a realiza-
ton that one of the most common fire
causes is that of allowing waste and
such accumulation will to very
marked degree decrease the fire hazard
as 1t pertains to our place of business
and to our homes. A campaign is now
underway throughout the nation which
has for its object the elimination of a
very serious fire hazard, the so called
parlor match. This little ember of de-
struction is now the subject of National
legislation and will 1 believe in the near
future be absolutely prohibited. With
out question a percentage of our fires
are caused by friction, that IS. friction
between poor paying business and a
heavy insurance. That this condition
of affairs is gradually being eliminated
is well shown by the records of the va
rious state insurance departments
throughout the country which show a
very perceptible decrease in the num-
Der of incendiary fires. These are the
more common causes OF our many fires
and fire prevention intelligently applied
will obviate many of them.
A striking illustration of practical fire
prevention Is afforded to people of Ban
gor in the matter of the fire wall on
Center street built by the Hon. ]. p.
Bass at time prior to your confiagra-
tion. What that wall saved your city
at that time is hard to estimae but 1
believe that through its efficiency the
buildings along Main and Broad streets
were saved from the ravages of that dis
astrous confagration.
1 assure you that this fire prevention
proposition Is no fad. In states where
much thought has been given It the re-
suits secured demonstrate very forcibly
the value of the idea And what has
been accomplished in these states can
be secured for Maine.
This is the era of economic develop
ment and fire prevention is one of the
economic propositions that we should
consider and when the business man and
the citizens of the State as whole will
give to this idea the same consideration
that they give to the Important details
49,. 10 Afaf, Ttotv nc a