The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-18
Fire Commissioner Gives
Some Measures to Be
F ollowed to Max e
Every Day a Fire Pre-
Vention Day

lodging houses, business places, private
residences. theatres. moving pictur,
show places and MIN storage plants SAT,
from fire.
~The lodging houses and Aim storage
places were singled out for special In
vestigation," says Commissioner Adam
son, because the conditions In the lodg
ing houses are particularly dangerous
and the film storage places represent
extra fire hazard. The attention gtver
to theatres and moving picture places
ls Incidental to the annual inspection
preliminary to the granting OF licenses
but the plan which the Bureau OF Fire
Prevention has now adopted is much
moro comprehensive than heretofore
and has resulted in making amusement
pleces safer than ever"
The Fire Commissioner also reports
that through special board he has
been making a thorough investlga lion
OF conditions Of every school building
IN the city from a fire prevention stand
point.
The city OF New York observed Octo-
Der 0 IA fire prevention day Fire
drills were held in all public schools.
Mayor Mitchell issued proclama ION
in which he stated that during the past
year 5000 fires in this city, eniailing
great waste of property and costing
many lives. could have been prevented
by ordinary care.
In his statement requesting every
one to cooperate in removing the causes
II fires the Mayor said:
AN investigation by the Fire Com
missioner shows shat the reason for the
great number Of fires IN New York
city Is 10 found. not in the character OF
our building construction nor In the
hazardous nature OF business and the
industry carried on. but in the careless
and negligent habits Of she people"
After enumerating the principal
causes Of fires the Mayor urges the fol-
owing precautionary measures in the
hope that practical evidence of CO.
operation on shc part OF the public may
make every day Are prevention day:
Clean up all rubbish such as papers.
rags and other inaammable material.
Keep matches where children cannot
get them.
Do not throw away lighted cigarettes
or cigars.
Keep careful watch on furnaces, chin
neys and heating pipes. See that all
niies are free Of fire dangers
Protect motors In all shops against
sparkling.
Provide ample exits and have metal
boxes for waste in factories.
Clean up waste in packing divisions Of
department stores.
Do not look for gas leaks with lighted
matches
Do not hang lace curtains near gas
Jets.
Do not AL kerosene lamps after dark
or near the fire.
In letter which was read in twelve
hundred New York city churches Fire
Commissioner Adamson urged the public
tn think fire beforehand" ana reminded
them that AN ounce Of fire prevention
N time is worth many tons Of water
from the fire engines afterward"
Precautionary measures, stated in
plain language are now being displayed
IN all public meeting places and the
Commissioner Is endeavoring by every
possible means to drive home the obli-
cation Of the individual TO observe all
The simple rules Of fire prevention. Up
ward of $4,000 circulars issued by the
department under the caption "Don'ts
and Warnings for Fire Prevention" have
been distributed in the public schools,
chambers Of commerce. boards of trade
and civic societies in the city OF New
York.
As result NJ an investigation insti-
tuted by the Fire Commissioner the fact
has been established that careless prac-
ices both in factories and In houses, are
m" main causes of most OF our fires.
despite all the efforts Of the de-
partment," according to Commissioner
Ndamson there is vast amount OF
public disregard Of simple precautions
against fire, as IL shown by an analysis
~ the reports Of fires for the year just
closed For instance, glancing down the
list Of the principal causes OF fires, It
appears that cigars, cigarettes and their
careless handling caused no less than
1919 fires last year, with an estimated
loss of s306,335 The careless handling
~ matches caused "A property loss in
Greater New York OF sl3l 1888, the total
number Of such fires being 1,175. While
on the subject Of matches and their
careless handling It might he men
toned that children playing with
matches caused 5ss fires last year with a
loss OF sS9 gas. which must he added TO
tho match damage. making a total from
this cause Of sl64.133.
"AnOther fruitful source OF careless
and entirely avoldable fires was the
bonfire and fires from brushwood ig-
hitting fences. These fires numbered
last year LOSS, and cost Greater New
York 5000. Thus. out OF total OF
le.a5S fires for the year 1913, we have
5000, or more than an entire third
caused by cupable negligence.
"raklnS 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 number of fires in Chlmneys from
failure to clean fiues. and such items
II appears that thoughtlessness and
iack of care cover practically the entire
list with the exception. perhaps, of
hose fires which were deliberately set
for the purpose of arson or through
A.,