The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-05
CONTINUED from yesterdayD

(By Edward f. Croker, ex-chlef New
York fire Department.
a proper system OF fire protection
Throughout the couatry based upon
Sound and practical methods would
materially reduce the tremendous
loss. to say nothing of the saving or
lives annually lost by fires, which
Ills the main consideration.
Il am glad to see that the people of
the country are alive to their respon-
,sibility in the matter. Since / have
started in my work real zeal on the
part Of those who employ numbers Of
hands is shown everywhere. have
ASSOCIATED with me q number OF
the most expert fire fighters in the
country. In addition to their many
years experience in the New York
fire department. they have also come
N contact for number OF years
with industrial plants where chances
for fires are very imminent. Our work
has assumed such dimensions that We
now employ over sixty men who
have had twenty years of service IN
the fire department. They are sent
cat to install proper fire protection
| in industrial plants, hotels. hospitals,
asylums, theaters, churches, office
buildings, tenements and private res
licences.
! We send out experts to make In
IVestigations, we send out uniformed
fire guards to watun property, night
and day. to see that fra regulations
are observed. and to put out incfpi-
ent fires. We have engineers who
design. in connection with architects,
arrangements for the protection OF
life and properly in buildings OF all
sorts. We have experts who drill
4 the employee in department stores,
ushers in churches and theaters,
clerks and bell boys and porters in
hotels and apartment houses.
\ If the individual could be Impress
ed with exercising ordinary care IN
small things, much would be accom-
IDlished Smoking by employees and
! the careless disposal of waste | con-
slider the most frequent cause of fire
i'm industrial concerns. A worker
I viii throw away a cigaret thinking no
more Of the matter. 1t is habit, you
use. BY chance the cigaret or the
cigar may. ignite some lnhammable
material, a piece of oily waste.
scrap OF paper, or cast off clothes.
ana, before the busy workers notice
lit, 2 good sized blaze is in progress.
if many more are employed in that
particular shop. confusion reigns the
moment the fire is discovered. ack
lof training in fire prevention makes
| il difficult for the men in the plant
Ito handle the fire before ii gets con-
siderable headway
| have seen so much OF that sort
of thing, seen so many disastrous
Hires which could have been
checked by men properly trained.
that am sure that with what should
ibe ordinary care. the list OF big fires
in this country may greatly reduced.
| What | have said applies not only
TO cases in built up sections where
fire department equipment is in easy
reach but that methods We employ
are applicable as well to isolated in
dustrial plants. A short time ago we
were retained by large corporation
to install fire protection system in
one of its million dollar plants. II
is plant where there is necessarily
much inhammable material about
l The men knew absolutely nothing
about fire fighting. After fire fight
ling brigades had been organized and
1.-THE utility OF the fire apparatus had
Ibeeu brought into requisttion and the
kinks had been pressed out OF the
Irotting hose, fires were started in
various parts OF the shop. At. the
outset the men We're perfectly help
less. After thorough course OF
drilling. | consider that it would be
for fire to get any head
way in that great plant.
In tho case OF private houses, espe-
cially where they are situated, at
Isome distance from fire stations.
fire is apt to gain considerable head
way because the housekeeper does
not know how to put the inciplent
blaze out. The first thought is to
run out to sound the fire alarm.
Doors in most cases are left open,
lcreating a strong draft that fans the