Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-11-02
'RUNGE INVESTIGATES
DEVILS LAKE BLAZE
Fire Marshall Looks Into Matter
at Request of Owners
Losses Less

Aberdeen hotel at Devils, Lake is be-
ing Investigated by Chief Fire Mar
shall A II. Runge at the request OF
the owners. Mr.. Runge is not pre-
pared to make his report public.
First Assistant Marshall H. l.. Reade
is out on an inspection tour of the
western part OF the state. This is the
season when the departemnt is most
active in its efforts to prevent fires,
and the conditions in the various
towns and villages visited to date
show great improvement. Fire re-
ports from the Actuarial bureau this
month are only half what they were
a year ago. This bureau reports only
on old-line risks, but the mutuals are
reporting fewer losses than usual.
Inspections Decrease
During the fourteen months first fol-
lowing the establishment of the fire
marsnall's office, TAI orders for i'm.
provement were entered; the next
year showed f4S, while the year just
closed finds but 1925 orders issued.
Recommends lightning Rods
The much abused lightning rod is
again coming into favor. In its re-
port for the fiscal pear 1916. the de-
partment advises that the loss of un.
rodded buildings for the year is shown
by 81 insurance companies to have
Deen $99.632.57. while rodded build
ings, i'll the same companies, showed
no loss during the period. Chemical
fire extinguishers also are commend
ed. Spontaneous combustion is given
as a toO-commOn cause of fires.
EllendaIe Fire
The Glendale fire is noted as the
only serious conflagration of the year.
This blaze the night OF May 9, de.
stroyed % business places, % dwell.
ings, eight barns, church and par.
sonage, involving loss Of $42,S5S.O9
on buildings. with $47,650 insurance;
and a loss Of $46,571.44 on contents.
with $29,554 insurance. The actual
valuation Of the buildings damaged
was $67.173, and their contents were
worth $5S,657.
Investigations
Investigations OF suspicious fires
were made during the year at Bow.
man. Martin, Wildrose, Lorraine, 'Shey.
enne, Overly. Rugby. Walum, Denhoff.
Fairmonnt. Nome, Clifford, Maddox,
Drake. Grand Forks. Hannatord, Dog.
den, Sykeston, Fargo, Olga, Milton,
Crosby, Ambrose. BOttineau, Brant-
ford, Harvey and Mandan. .....
...." ltnhtnjna First Cause ..
Lightning caused more fires than
any other source, with total OF 263 to
its credit. Next In order came explo.
sions, with 1856, defective stoves, fur.
naces and boilers, with l+5. and "un.
known" with 1874. OF the 1853 orders
issued by the department, 20 were to
clean up; "A were to change doors in
accordance with the law; &c to re.
move old buildings. and 81 to make
general repairs required for safety.
OF the 1904 inspections made during
the year, 280 were, OF general mer.
chandise stores; POI of lumber yards
and buildings, and III .,of hotels and
rooming houses. - ~: -. s- -.
80. =. Arrests Made. .......
Arrests were made at Clifford, Far.
60, .B0ttineau. near Langdon and ut
MinOt. Three jury trials for third de.
gree arson resulted in verdicts of not
guilty; two were bound over, and one
was discharged. Minot suffered a
greater loss than any other city in
the state in the fire of alleged incen.
diary origin, which practically de.
stroyed the Roell-Blakely building in
January, resulting in damage to the
extent of $4,000 The total loss on
buildings for the year was $74S,164!90
and on contents, $705,24l.51.