The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-11
RICHMOND NOT ONE OF
LEADING FIRE CITIES
None OF Worlds Historic Fires Have
Made This City Victim-The
Blazes Here Small
MODERN FIRE PREVENTION

Afford the Risk.
~ edmond has taken the lead In
X so many ways that II has become
i kind OF second nature for her
citizens to look for her pre-enli
hence In everything.
Everyone knows that in historic in
terest, in modern progress along In
dustrial lines. in the extension of COM
merce, in the making of boulevards
and the identifying Of suburbs: and
in a score of other ways the city has
set the pace. This has held a mental
habit so strong that II has become
almost matter OF regret when the
city Is eclipsed by a competitor even
in the matter OF calamity-just as
when two citizens, on brofling day
in August. dispute as to whose Their
mometer registers the highest, the
loser in the argument feels disgraced.
Without an earthquake as disastrous
as that of San Francisco. a cyclone
as devastating as that of st. Louis.
or a fire as big as that of Chicago.
Richmond has not quite reached the
highest niche in the temple of fame.
In the matter Of fire 1t must be
confessed Richmond. from one point
of view Lays far behind. Nor 10 there
any likelihood that in this respect
she will ever obtain the distinction
some other cities have gained to their
infinite cost. Methods Of modern
building construction. the safeguards
for ffre-prevention, and the highly
developed means OF fighting the dread
element are too far advanced. The
city's business interests have grown
to too large proportions to permit
risk to creep in when by any pos
sible experience or forethought 1t can
be avoided
Historic Fires
Compared with some OF the fires
that form chapters In history. Rich
mond's conflagrations are mere tyros.
Setting aside that classic fire of which
the outstanding feature was a musical
accom- paniment rendered by royal
been tried az by fire in a manner
that this city 1t Ia hoped, will never
experience. Thus the Great Fire OF
London, in 1856, spread over an area
OF one square mile. embracing the
richest and most populous district In
the city. Starting in Pudding Lane, 1t
leaped from house to house until 1t
had leveled every structure along
four hundred streets and lanes. prop
as measured In the money OF that time
equal to probably ten times that
sum now-going up in smoke.
Such a blaze in Richmond. IL start
Ing from the City Hall. would COM
prise everything between Broad and
Cary Streets to beyond the city limits
In the West.
Whatever love they may have had
for the spectacular. Londoners were
80 supremacy satisfied with their one
great display that they saw to It that
II was never repeated. From that day
to this England has never witnessed
anything near so serious a fire. No
doubt she willingly yielded the palm
to Russia, whose Moscow fire. in 1872.
was the biggest thing of the kind
after London Although Russia's old
est and ablest general. winter. had
already decimalid Napoleon's army,
the aid OF fire was sought to COM
plete the work. The union of the op-
posing elements in this way was a
kind OF cruel irony which must have
made the frightful sufferings OF the
harassed French still more acute. The
fire in Moscow ragged for five days,
destroying the huge total of thirty
thousand houses.
The Hamburg fire. In 1912, and the
Paris fire. in 1871. were in the nature
Of and antt-climax comparatively
speaking, after London and Moscow.
At Hamburg only four thousand, two
hundred buildings were burned. and
at Paris a somewhat less number. The
tiEc. HoNcNrTs HA0 IIttle IuC3s
dental features which must have add
ed greatly to its horrible fascination.
1t was the work Of the Communists
and was but one OF many evidences
OF the mob's destructive activities
Murder and piilage on every hand.
and a deliberate fustration OF every
attempt to check the flames, accentu-
ated and prolonged the terror When
the fire died down 1t was from sheer
Mt Of f,snf t~ ftu f,.vxr
BY way and far the biggest fire
In this country was, Of course, the
Chicago fire Of 1871. In point Of
area covered this fire was much
greater than that Of London--indeed.
it ragged over an area more than three
times as great. though 1t did not de-
strov many more buildings. In Lon
don the narrow streets and lanes were
lined with thickly set honses while in
Chicago not only were the streets
wider. but the buildings were less con-
gested.
Boston emulated Chicago a year
later. but not very successfully. In
Boston the fire burned over but sixty
five acres, ~ compared with two thou
sand. one hundred and seventy-four
acres In Chicago. The Baltimore fire,
enough. was still less important when
seen in perspective and by compari-
son.
Cruise and Cure.
The best possible method of pre-
ven,ion springs directly from the
origin of most fires--extreme care
Care with matches. open fires. radia-
tor furnaces, oils and paints. gas Jets.
lamps, electric wiring. SCOT. rags, care
with everything. will obviate the
greater number OF domestic fires that
occur. In the case Of public and Of
flee buildings the danger is not so
great. though the disaster, when 1t
comes. 10 greater. Modern building
methods. by the use OF improved ma
terfals and greater thought given to
fire precauttoD, have lessened fire
risks. to the equal qualification of
the owners, occupants. insurance COM