The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-05-18
(By SHERWOOD BROCKWELL.
Address Delivered at the Meeting of
the state Federation of WOman's

Ladies i nave come TO yOu on
rather a unique mission: 1 want you
sound out of place, but / will en-
deavor to show you where you can
play an important part in reducing
our present enormous fire waste.
The art or profession of fighting
fire is by no mean new, but began
with civilization and as, in a man
ner, run abreast with it up to the
present time.
Savage man by rubbing two rocks
together found that he could produce
n pretty spark and later found out
that by properly fostering that spark
he could produce a flame with which
which he could warm his body and
cook his food. This allowed him to
leave the plane Of the lower ami
mails and was the first great step to-
ward civilization. Later he discov-
cred that by heating the hard metals
he found in the earth that he could
mold them into shapes most suitable
for his use. Thus began the iron
age. The next step was to use two
clements, fire and water ard produce
steam. With this combination one
man could do the work formerly done
by many horses and all the great work
up until the general use of electricity
was lone by his method. In fact in
every great achievement accom-
plished by the human race fire has
played or wrought an important part,
but on the other hand while fire has
been mans greatest servant alone
and has from time to time become
mans master and collected from
mans savings a toll far in excess of
its hire.
To give you an idea of this toll 1
will say that every great city in the
old world, from Carthage up to- the
present day has on one or more oc-
casions been destroyed by fire and
practically every large city in Ameri-
"a has had it's destructive fire ard in
our own state this destruction, not
counting the loss of life, amounts to
about four and n half million dol
lars per year.
You naturally think well what
have we got to do with that" Here
as the answer. Out or that four and
one half million dollars loss per year
I'm our state, seventy per cent of it is
preventable and in Southern States
the major portion of fire losses is in
residences and as you are generally
the sole master of everything in youl
residence you can do a great deal to-
ward lessening this great fire loss.
Fighting fire consists Of two
branches: prevention and ~extinguish'
ment, and it is in prevention hat yoI
can dc your greatest work. This
should be started when you start tt
build your house. First of all turf
the job over to a reputable architec
and insist that he has your house bull
from the ground up SO as to make i
at least slow-burning, be sure to cal
III the local electrical inspector AND
have him make a rigid inspection o
all wiring, call in the building inspec
tor n hav him inspect all the chin
neys and flues. After this is done /
lS pnfirQ1v III fn Won fO ron,ay,,h he
that good housekeeepers seldom bur
out
If your house is already built cal
in these inspectors and nave them in
spect your wiring n chimneys an
do what they tell you to s~afeguar,
in North Carolina has inspectors Q
this kind and they are paid to d
this work for you.
Everything in your house hat
worthless is either in your basemen
or your attic. You are no doubt, q
this moment, j~eopar1izing a thousan
dollar residence with a lot of worth
less junk in your basement or atti'
by all means keep these places clea
and In so doing you are hitting fire
heavy lick, because most fires stal
from these accumulatiOnS In the a
Tic and basement.
l will give you a few don't which
believe you will do we'll to remembt
and put into practice:
DON'T Leave matches where childre
"a get them. (Childre
are great imitators-4
DON'T Have a gas light where Il
wind will blow a curta.
against it. MANY fires a
started this way.)
DON'T Put ashes in wooden boxes
barrels or near the hou
or outhouses. Keep the
in metal receptacles IN
they are hauled away.
DON'T Use gasoline in doors. If "
have to use it use it out
doors. CA woman
Springfield, Mass, went in
a bathroom and closed t
doors and windows al
started to clean a pair
silk gloves i'm a pan of cas-