Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-02
pREVENTABLE FIRES.

- or. ENORMOUS compared with the
losses IN Europe. Some comparisons
show a loss of 500 here for every
thirty cents there Our losses COM
nared to Germany's are even ereatei,
nossihly as much as $500 mere lor
every thirty cents there. sn
THO principal factor in cutting oown
uurone,s fire losses Is the prevents
tive measures insisted upon 'neie
EYra ia not looked upon IN MT Ut
-n,.s manner: it is not left to cnance
and the man who suffers loss 1roih
nra !. looked upon as victim OF LIS
.,,,, ooro1essness rather than as a VIC
tim Of misfortune. ,,r
= Cormanv this Is carried even 1ur-
+har There it is a positive disgrace
to have a fire IN nome or oan
~ husiness. Unless the owner can
show clearly that the fire was unas VIZ
able and not In any sense aue W oa
lessness or neglect, the CITY coip eas
the loser to reimburse 'ne cl'y ~
tho expense incurred IN ngntns .ne
are and on top of that a nne Is ies,
led. In additions the man VINO nat
fhe Are Is regarded as having prousn.
ali his neighbors and their properly
into danger and he Is anything pu'
nonular and gets anything but sym
pathv. The result is that in Germany
there are few preventable hres:
In the hope OF reducing the chances
=, Ares In Illinois, the state nre mal-
shal there has started campaign W
nave passed in as many cities as pos
s;h,e set of additional fire ordln-
ances designed to cut down inc IRE.
mandous Are losses of the state me
-aoat drastic of these would make
cana Fourths Of July compulsory. II
.uonld nrohibit the discharge OF nr1ns
~ fireworks and the sale of fireworks
NJ ratail. Section one of this oroln-
once would grant the mayor OF town
e. rirht to order the public display
=, fireworks by properly quahfed IN
Sividuals In addition to providing q
nanaItv for dtsobedienoe the ordinance
would uroyide that the chief OF the nre
Ian.rment could remove, at the own
er's e.nense. ali stocks OF fireworks
~ other combusttble exposed 1or sale
IN violation Of the ordinance.
Tha inspection OF buildings and
,ramiaes Nv the fire department 70
aasaan.rd the public and property
era,nst loss would be provided Tor III
another Of the proposed ordinances.
This ordinance would make II tne
dntv Of tho chief of the hre depart
ment to have inspected, not less .nan
nnoa . month in closely built portions
~ The city, all buildings, except me
,ntertors Of private dwellings, TOR me
nnrnose OF correcting any conaltlons
RLely to cause fires. The ordlnance
would also give, to the chief OF tne
a.. d.nartment the power to order
Are trap buildings which enoansei
oth.r property, DESTROYED.
The storage and handling OF cIuoe
,,o+roleum. benzine, benzol, gasoline,
pantha. ether and other like vo!atiie
combustibles would be regulated py
no PROVISIONS of one Of the oro1n.
onoaa This ordinance would make II
unlawful for any person to keep wltn'
n the city limits, exceeding ten ga.
Ions Of the substances nsteu, eAceps
- snec,ally constructed storage TANKS
hurled beneath the surface OF the
earth. ,,,,a ,oe,,a+a
automobile garages.
Tha sixth ordinance would provide
+or tha establishment Of electrical IN
anactor whose duties would include
mo supervision Of the strinsing Of all
telegraph, telephone or electric hsnt
ond mower wires.