The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-04-17
BOARD OF TRADE
MAKES APPEAL
For Fire Prevention in PaIatka.
To The Citizens of Palatka:


Last year the statistics show that
fires destroyed property in the United
States at the average rate of $500 a
minute, day and night the whole year
through. This cost totals one-half of
the value of new buildings erected
during the year; in addition, the act
ual loss of life last year averaged over
two persons each daya-a great toll of
death to add to the shocking loss of
property not to speak of suffering and
distress to countless individuals
Carelessnes in this country is ira
gedy.
1t was not long since a fire in an
hour Tapped up $4,000 worth of prop
erty in our own city. 1t is still
memory with many of our citizens
who saw the business part of Palatka
in ruins, as the people of st. Angus
tine now view the blackened waste in
their city. To our neighboring city
of st. Augustine our deepest sympa-
thy is extended in thdir toll of well
nigh million dollars to fire waste-a
large addition to the appalling total
to be aggregated at the close of 1914
OF fires yet to be.
The Club House fire in St. Louis,
the burning of the dormitory of Well
esley College, filled with girls, $50 of
them, and the destruction of the
Windsor Hotel in Milwaukee, each
with sleeping guests who awoke in
eternity, are late examples of fires
that could, in all probability, have
been prevented by the use of reasona-
BILE and proper care.
No day passes without its record
of fire waste and death. Fires do not
"just happen"-they are caused. If
charged to spontaneous combustion, II
is because somebody left dust and
trash piled up where it should not be
left If matches, cigars stubs and ci
garettes are responsible, it is due to
criminal carelessness. Where due to
poorly constructed chimney, it is
case of inexcusable negligence; so too
when a defective electrical insulta-
ton or broken gas pipe cause des-
tructon. There are multiplied causes
for fires, mostly due to indifference.
Medical science has declared that
prevention is better than cure. 1t is
claimed that 80 per cent of all fires
are unnecessary and that rs per cent
of them are due to noncompliance
with, or non-conformity of the most
ordinary principles OF fire preven-
ton. Our annual loss is
ten times that of Europe. There is
effective supervision in every Euro
pean country and when fires occur the
individuals are held to strict account
ability.
Danger spots abound in Palatka, as
in every American city. We have a
most efficient fire department; to pro-
tect against fire is all very well, but
to prevent fire is the thing. Fire is
no respecter of persons.
May we not ask every property
owner and tenant in the city to i'm
mediately-today-make careful
examination of every spot whore fire
is liable by means of flues, electric
wiring, movable gas jets, stove pipes
passing through wooden partitions,
and in accumulations of dust and rub
bish; and to begin at once the habit
OF care in handling lamps, matches,
hot ashes and in not over heating
stoves and stove pipes. Do not allow
dust, rags, paper and litter of any
Kind to accumulate. Dust burns 'iAe
tcwdel and many fires are caused
thereby. Rubbish piled up is an au-
tomato bonfire waiting to be touched
off.
Insurance may in part reimburse
property loss, but it cannot restore a
single life a fire has taken. Careful
ress and cleanliness in the maintcn-
ance of our stores and hcmes is a
prime requisite in the prevention Of
| fires and the loss of life.
By individual and concerted effort
Palatka can reduce the danger OF frs
to a minimum. Will the reader ot
this join at once in this home saving
and life saving movement?
Respectfully submitted by the Mer.
chants Protection Committee of tht
Palatka Board of Trade:
Charles E. Rowton, Chairman
William NJ. Curry,
]. H. Haughton,
Louis Kalbfeld,
T. B. Merrill,
} r. E. Neck,
d. w. Ramsaur,
w. W. Tilghman,
F. D. Wattels. -