The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-03
LOWEST IN FIFTEEN YEARS AND
ONE FOURTH THAT
OF 1919.
RICHMOND MAY LEAD
ONLY TWO WITH SMALLER LOSS
LAST YEAR--yoYNEs Elk
PLAINS FEATURES OF
THE REPORT.

Fire losses in Richmond last year
vere the lowest In the last fifteen
years Richmond. q year ago, stood
! lowest In fire losses in the United
states. with the exception Of Fall
River and Worcester, Mass. and this
Ssars showing. will. Il 10 expected
sfvs Richmond first place among the
sftfes Of the country
/ TO an efncient, well-discipiiusd de-
sartnent. to the fact that motor
lriven IRE apparatus cuts short the
lime required by the horse-drAwn In
easDonding TO alarms Of llre. ana to
~ inspection service maintained By
NJ IRA. electrical and building In
pec4ors departments, Fire Chief
foynes. OF the local department, gives
redit for tho splendid showing made
~ Richmond in regard to are losses
&uy1ng the year 1919.
Tho report Of Chief Joynes, COM
tleeed yesterday, shows there were
1fty-four fewer alarms Of fire and that
Ne fre loss was 3254.70s.3S smaller
y 1919 than in 1912. The total num-
Der Of alarms In 1913 was 848, as
AGainst 701 in 1912. and tho fire loss
t1]S.46S.17 in 1912.
Loqs But Fraction.
Tho value OF property at risk In
he Ares OF 1913 was $s.033.3e5.3 80.
The loss was but fraction above one
PER cent OF the total value Of the
property risked in tho nres in which
losses wero sustained.
The property value rtsked was in
Ani1dinxs, 1S.24S,37t. and In contents,
YA -.
T5ok6d property was about one-thfrd
the value. having been on buildings,
$A3s70s5. ana contents. 31,556,660.
~ year ago. whom Richmond's total
dre 1osaes were nearly three hundred
and nifty thousand dollars. there were
hut two cities in the United States Of
anywhere near the size Of Richmond,
In which . lower nre loss for the year
W1s shown.
This year. with showing OF about
Ofse-fOurth the losses shown d year
ago. Richmond will probably stand
11rst on the list OF cities having small
dro losses
Automoblles Helped.
The local department has been able
10 ret to fires more quickly and to get
apparatus in action on the flames in
shorter time than ever before, because
Of the operation OF motor driven
trucks and engines. These fast-mov-
ing automobiles are not bothered by
M3ent and the TINA consumed between
Anxtnehousss and scenes OF fire has
been greatly reduced.
This Is one fact that Chief Jcynes
believes figures largely In the cutting
down OF fire losses. Another II that
the mon In the department are we'll
drilled. fearless and efficient, to a de-
gree higher. possibly. than any hero
tokofe attained
thu city. eighteen firemen are sent out
twice each month to make inspections
Of churches. halls. other gathering
places and business houses ard manu-
&ACtuyang institutions. This inspec-
lions 81 the firemen. and those Of the
electrical department men, who are
On che Job when wiring Is done, and
tn enforcing OF the building code
NGu1At1ons and rigidness OF inspec-
ttoas from that ONCE. also contribute
1ASBe1y. BY way Of fire prevention, In
Use Of Chemicals.
Many OF the Ares. It was stated yes
terday by Fire Chief Joynes. ara more
quickly reached than formerly be-
Cnnoo Of tho fact that chemicals arc
nood On nearly two-thirds or all fires
1Ach apparatus has two thirty-fiv
eallon tanks OF chemical
with chemicals. firemen reaching
tn 0cene OF tho blaze can get to the
0eat - tbs flames more quickly than
With hose and streams that must be
hid before the actual work of putting
WaAor on tho fire can b begun.
Another fact brought out ty tho re-
port which IL gratifying to the heads
~ the dre department and the men,
0eEs Of the board OF Are commission
etU - that the value Of property risk
"a a 1917 fres was nearly two MIL
Hon dollars smaller than the value ii
f11k In lSl3. The risk in 1919 was
e7.9So,al3. a. against $9,0aS.365 last
yoAr The losses In 1912 were more
than half Of the total value OF prop
0fty ~ risk, while those of this year
Mere slightly more than ono per cent.