The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-18


shutting an engine on wheels
for the two front wheels of the
old apparatus.
have 1888 fires in one year as was tn,
record for 1913. The estimates OF
monetary loss here given do not include
the economic loss. or the loss Of en-
ployment from fires and the consequent
loss OF business nor do they include
| deaths and injury by fires. II al these
elements were included In the cslcula-
| tons New York would be astounded a,
| the total fire less"
one OF the prevalent and peculiar
causes Of fires as stated IN She report
OF the Commissioner Is what Is known
as spontaneous comhustion"-a cause
| OF fire which accounts for a loss during
! 1918 Of sl32.Si3. The number OF fires
| attributable to this cause last wear was
9O2. This mysterious sort of fire arises
in oily waste used in w.plng machinery.
! lamps, &C The waste, after use, is
carc.essly thrown aside into some cup
! board or closet or left In some corner
Of the room. perhaps near "A warm
radiator or stove. Experts now admit
that spontaneous combustion does take
place and fire invest gators have too
often witnessed its depredations 10
doubt its existence.
Commissioner Adamson points out
that fires from this cause could bs
readily prevented by simply having
| metal receptacles with Ids in which
such waste material could be deposited
after use. And yet in hundreds OF ma.
chine shops and in other places in this
| city highly Combustib.e waste is left
to lie about in odd corners. When fires
occur in these places no one seems TO
know the cause.
III carelessness Is he cause of more
than 60 per cent of our fires, cleanliness
might he called the remedy" saws the
Commissioner. II our great factories
and other places of industry could lie
induced to keep their floors, counters
machinery and store and work rooms
clean, half the battle against fire would
be won. 1t is The untidy habit that be-
gets the conditions which make fires.
This particularly applies 20 fires which
occur in tenements. Half OF our fires
occur In tenemerts. and In nearly every
instance " is found that these fires are
caused by carelessness. The whole sit
uation might be summed up In one
word negligence with the exception.
OF course. of incendlary fires and those
that might be said TO be directly due to
lightning"
The new regulation OF the depart
tneh' calling for inspections by the
uniformed force has greatly overcome
the difficulties resulting from the in
adequacy OF such Inspections by other
city departments, During the past few
h,,,
spections have been made by the Fire
Department.
MANY conditions throughout the city
have been remedied." says tho Fire
Commissioner. land the general public
Is beginning to wake up to the dangers
from fire that prevail. campaign OF
education has been started by the Fire
Department; which includes wide dis
tributbon OF literature. such as No
Smoking signs and various Don'ts for
Fire Prevention Enforcement OF the
laws against smoking In factories and
other regulations are having a salutary
effect. Lecture centres are also being
established and THE public schools will
soon have n course OF fire prevention
studies. Appliances have been intro
duced in innumerable places to extin-
include fire extinguishers and fire pals,
hose lines on floors; and, most import
ant Of all, automatic sprinklers"
Commissioner Adamson further
states:
Another important point In fire
safety which Is now being attended to
is the provision of adequate means OF
egress from all buildings where num-
hers nf NEnrkQrQ nfhar
engaged. Not only are we insisting that
properly built fire escapes and fire
towers be provided. but wherever pos
sible. owners are compelled to construct
iire walls running through the entire
extent Of their buildings so that work.
ers In one part of the factory may walk
10 srety through those walls by means
OF proper fire doors, closing automatI-
cally in case OF fire. Such fire stops
IN buildings and the use Of what il
called the horizontal exit from one part
OF building to another viii prove an
enormous life saver wherever installed.
This is one or the most effective and
economical means Of fire prevention, as
II not only insures the safety OF the
workers hut prevents the spread OF
fire"
According to the report, fire pre-
vention inspectors were assigned dur
Ing the past six months to inspect
every lodging house in the city licensed
by the Board OF Health. Many of these
lodging houses were found to be OF sim
liar construction to the lodging house
in Boston-the Arcadia-which was
burned In December. with loss of
twcnty-seven lives. Sixteen New York
lodging houses were found to be owned
by the same syndicate which owned
and operated the Boston lodging house
and which owns and operates some
twenty-seven other lodging houses out
side OF New York city. A very large
number OF lodging houses were in
cluded In this inspection, among them
ATTY on the Bowery. nine on Park Row,