The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-22

">HF, third anniversary or the Tri-
angle shirtwaist factory fire. in
L which 147 girls lost their lives
%. occurs on Wednesday next,
March 20. Fire Commissioner Robert
Adanson has arranged for the observ-
ance Of this anniversary by fire drills in
factories and schools. by the circulation
Of FIRE. prevention literature by taxpayers
and safety organizations and by calling
attention as widely as possible to the
educational phase OF Are prevention.
Mayor Mitchell and city officials are to be
invited to witness IRE drills held In some
largo factory. In every church in the
city the Fire Commissioner has asked
every minister to read n letter to the
congregation to-day calling attention to
the Triangle disaster and pointing out
the obligation of every individual TO OBJ
serve both at home and in places
oe business all the simple rules which
tend to prevent fires. The City Club
will give a luncheon next Saturday. at
which the subject for discussion will he
Fire Prevention
The Fire Commissioner IL convinced
that O vast majority of the Hres which
occur in this city are the result OF care
iessness. A match or a lighted cigarette
.carelessly thrown away in all probability
caused the Triangle FIRE and the loss Of
III lives, and 1t IS for the purpose OF
infpressing upon every one the impor-
lance OF being careful in tho handling
OF matches, in the throwing away OF
cigar or cigarette stubs. in keeping
places OF business free from waste and
rubbish and combustible materials and
in. taking care TO safeguard heating and
lighting apparatus and In observing all
Of the simple rules OF IRE prevention
that the observance Of the Triangle frs
anniversary has been arranged for.
II is interesting on this anniversary to
call attention to the steps which have
been taken since that fire occurred TO
make New York n safer place TO live In.
Fire prevention as q science was hardly
known in this city before that fire. and
even yet vast majority of the people
do, not understand the necessity for do.
ing the things and taking simple precau-
tons which the Fire Prevention Bureau
INSISTS upon. Summing UP the results
of tho fire prevention reforms since the
Triangle fire and what needs still TO be
done Fire Commissioner Adsmson made
this statement:
Investigation immeda tsly following
the Triangle fire brought out the fact
that careless habits both In factories and
IN homes were tho main causes OF most
iipes \ match or cigarette hcedlcssly
thrown among some waste clippings on
the Triangle floor. as has been said. was
the probable cause Of the disaster. Out
Of that thoughtless action has grown the
Ian against smoking in factories, which
the Fire Department Is endeavoring TO
enforce.
Despite all the efforts OF the depart
meht. however, there Is vast amount
oc public disregard OF simple precau-
tons against fire, as IL shown by an
analysis of the reports OF fires for the
wear just closed. For instance. IL APP
pears that cigars. cigarettes and their
careless handling caused no less than
1879 fires last year, with an estimated
loss of s306,335. The careless handling
81 matches caused "a property loss IN
y
number OF such fires being l,1T6. While
OH the subject Of matches and their care
less handling 1t might lie mentioned
that children playing with matches
caused $50 fires last year, with a loss
OF s32.2i5, which must be- added to the
match damage. making a total from this
cause Of sle4.1SS.
Another fruitful source Of careless and
entirely ayoidable fires was tho bonfire
and fires from brushwood ignlt!ng fences.
These fires numbered last year l05s and
cost Greater New York sl023O Thus
ont Of a total OF 1888 fires for the year
1913 $500. ar more than an entire third,
were caused by cupable negligence.
Taking the other main causes of fire.
such as careless handling Of gas lights
and illuminants. stoves, furnaces and
steam pipes, the misuse of benzlne, the
failure to clean chimney nues and such
items, II appears that thoughtlessncss
ana lack OF care cover practically the
entire list, with exception perhaps Of
those fires which We're deliberately set
for the purpose OF arson or through
pyromanla-the disease for setting fires.
Fortunately many persons are beginning
to "think fire beforehand" and to heed
tho Thousands OF warnings which have
been sent out by the Fire Department.
This Is shown In tho fact that there
were In this city 2.67S fires less in 1918
than there were In 1912. with an csti-
mated monetary saving OF Sl,G01.5
II carelessness Is the cause OF more
than 60 per cent. OF fires in this city
cleanliness might be called the remedy.
The whole situation might be summed
up in one "ncgligencc'--w.th the
exception OF course of incendiary fires
and those that might DO said TO be d..
rectly due TO lightning. II oily waste
were placed in receptac!cs there would
be''no spontaneous combustion: and
II motors were kept from sparkling there
would DO no fires from this source
Chimney Ares are certainly avoidable
by. the simple process OF sweeping out
fiues In time.
Most Of the laws for fire prevention
have been placed upon the statutes
since tho Triangle fire. Thus out of this
great disaster much good has come. One
OF the first tangible results OF the Tri-