Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-07
DIRT OFTEN REsPoNslsLE.
Causes Of Flrss Many Times Avsidabls
-prsvention Day Monday.

Vouoo0 o. poFoo ANY omoo AVOtuuUse
-Prsvsntlsn Day Monday.
Every year there 10 burned up-ab-
solutely \,stroyed--property valued al
more than s250,ooo,o0o. About S750,ooC
4 day goes up In flame.
| 1t ID estimated that more than 81
per cent Of all fires take place In
homes and 1t Is stated that approx
mately 90 per cent Of all fires are due
to carelessness, ignorance or both. Ii
other words, nearly so per cent OF al
fires In the home might be prevented
II people would take the. slightest pre-
caution. flrst to prevent the fire from
starting, and second, to extinguish i
Immediately after 1t does start.
One Of the greatest hazards on the
farm II rubbish. This country is filleC
with old farm houses and the farm
houses too frequently are filled witt
piles Of rubbish, the accumulation o.
years. which are constant invitation.
to fire and q constant menace to the
security of those who live In the house
What shall we do with the old chair
Put it In the attic.
What shall we do with this pile Of
,nagazines7 Put 1t In the attic.
Here Is an old roll Of carpet, what
shall we do with it? Put it in the
attic.
Here is an old roll of carpet, what
shall we do with it? Put it in the
attic.
These are the questions and these
the answers that have resulted in at
tics being filed with rubbish. 1t may
not be kind to call the chair in which
ones grandmother sat rubbish, but II
liz rubbish If it is tossed aside, not
used, allowed to become dusty.
Throw away the useless things in
your home and you will quickly elimi-
nate half the danger Of fire. II a chair
mas served Its usefulness, throw II
nway. burn 1t up, do anything you
wish with It except-put it in the
attic.
Don't let dark closets and cellars be
filled with old things that you don't
want eithe- Ses that your farm house
Ia swept and garnished and that the
dark places are clean.
Willie goes to the cellar to get the
ice skates that he hung under the
stairs last spring. He takes matches
with him to light his way. He gets
the skates, and, knowing the way back
drops the match on the floor. 1t falls
in pile Of old paper, but he does not
see it. The little yellow flame finds
ready food on which to grow great and
grows, another home Is wiped out.
Such simple causes destroy thou
sands Of homes in this country every
year. But these fires are due to care
.essness and nothing else. It IL care
lessness to permit the rubbish to ac-
cumulAte Just as much as 1t IL for
Willie to drop the match. It is Just as
careless to build fire trap as It is to
burn one thru lack OF proper precau-
ton.
If you are going to build a house far
removed from town or city's fire pro-
lection, see that 1t is built safely. The
cost 10 little more maybe, but the
chance Of its destruction IL lessened
nightly.
Do not store damp hay. 1t is a pro-
lific cause Of nre, In a test made out
in an open field, matches placed in the
center Of Q hAystAck that had not been
thoroughly cured, started that hay
stack burning in less than three hours.
An oily rag tossed under kitchen
sink may begin to smoke and then
burst into flame, while the one who
threw It there is sleeping. Spontaneous
combustion starts many an unex-
planned flre. Matches should be kept
in metal covered receptacles and high
enough from the floor to prevent chill
dren from getting at them.
Every farmhouse should contain, at
least, rudimentary means Of fighting
fire when it starts. There should be
small hand extinguishers that . child
or woman can use. There should be
water pals In the entry way and the
pals should not be used for .scrubbing
floors. That is why round bottom pals
are better for nre use than nat bot
tom pals. Round bottom pals can
not be carried about and used. Every
room above the ground should be pro-
vided with at least rope, If not a
portable fire escape. There should be
ladder outside Of the house long
enough to resch the ridge pole Of the
house.
These things are inexpensive, but
they may mean saving your home
from destruction. Monday. Oct. 9. Is
fire prevention day. anniversary Of the
great Chicago fire. See that on that
day your home is free from rubbish
and that you have some means Of pro-
tecting yourself from the flames.