The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-07-02
Few Fires Due to Crackers.

Don't want the Riddles to have any
shooting crackers? Might burn some
bodys house down? Kids too are
less with fireworks?"
Well, if you fell that way about it,
alright, your are welcome to your
opinion. But, the report of State Fire
Marshal Myers for the year ending
May 3, 1915, which was made public
yesterday, puts crimp in the now
almost ancient idea that the young
sters and their fireworks on the big
day of the year for the kiddies all
over the country, the, day on which
their highest patriotism is aroused,
the day on which their fathers in
years gone by could get out into the
streets, the lanes and the back lots
and raise all the noise they wanted
to, the day when their grandfathers
formerly dragged the ancient cannon
up the old hill or out into Silas Some
body's meadow and, after loading her
to the muzzle, touch off the fuse and
send out such a bang! that the whole
countryside heard it and jest natur-
ally tossed their hats into the air for
joy-are the cause of the great fire
damage which theoretically is attri-
buted to them.
The report that of the 2,093 fires
occurring in Maryland during the !.
year, only nine-get that nine, Mr.
Critic-were caused by fireworks,
while something like 100 times that
many blazes were attributable to the
carelesssness of the kiddies' fathers
and mothers, in not properly looking
after their stoves, the flues and ether
causes of fires which could have been
prevented. In Frederick county there
was not single fire of the II which
occurred during the year, attributed
to fireworks.
With the exception of SO blazes the
origin of which cannot be traced, fires
in Frederick county, With their causes,
were as follows: Adjoining building,
3; burning rubbish, 1 defective fiue,
2; defective wiring, 1; defective stove
and pipe, 8; gasoline explosion, L;
lightning 6; wind tornado, 1.
OF these all over the State "a started
in adjoining building. Burning rub
bish caused 30, matches in the hands
Of children,4 "A; coal from stoves, 34;'
defective fiues, 121; defective wiring,
Is; defective stoves and pipes, SO;
fireworks, 8; gas explosion 70; gas
jets, 60; gas stoves, "a; gasoline ex-
plosions, II; grease and lard over
boiling, IA; lightning, 155; lamps and
lanters, %; careless handling of mat
ches, 81 oil explosions, 10; overhead
ed stoves, 49, overheated stoyespipes,
49, carelessness of smokers, Az
sparks, 80; spontaneous combustion,
TO- thawing pipes,9 matcehs ignited
by mice and rats, ~; oil stoves,34
candles, 20, and tornadoes,16.
The belief prevalent during the win
ter and spring that inceadiaries were
working in Frederick county, is
strengthened by the figures given in
the report of Marshal Myers showing
it has impossible to learn the origin
of SO blazes. The report shows that
Frederick county had the largest num-
Der of fires of any county in the state
during the year, with the exception of
Baltimore county, where there was
1877 blazes. Alleganey county had 20,
Carroll %, Montgomery %, Washing
ton 81, Howard SO.
The total amount of insurance paid
for fire damage in Frederick county
was $35,044.59 The insurance on the
destroyed property amounted to $751;
694.47. Total losses paid in Mary
land amounted to $1,160,449.69.