The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-09
GERMANS HERE
BURN MILLIONS
IN FOOD STUFFS

Since the United States entered the |
war more than s25.o0o,000 worth of
food has been destroyed by fire in
this country. This is at the rate of
about $45,000.000 a. year, or enough
to feed an American army of l., 100000
men for almost a third of the year.
It has been estimated that three !
fourths Of this loss has been caused
by incendiary fires-the work of Ger
man spies or sympathizers. The enor-
NOUS increase above the normal of
incendiary fires is shown by the fact
that the total incendiary loss in the
United States in 1915 was $10,000,000.
The destruction of food was larger
by far in October than in any other
months. It included the Rochester
fire, $1,00O,000; the Kansas City
stockyard fire, $1,500,000; the Brook
1yn elevator fire. s2,000,000; the Bal
timore fire, 100000. The food loss
from other fires in October may run,
easily to $10.00O,000. The Rochester,
Brooklyn, Kansas City, and Baltimore
fires are admittedly the work of in
cendiaries.
An estimate Of the food losses by
large fires since April follows: April
s2.000,000; May, $2.500,000. July,
$1,000, 900; August, $2,0O0,000; Sep
TENDER, $1,500,000; october, 100000
making total Of $500, 900. Adj
ding to this total the losses in smaller
fires throughout the country for the
seven months will bring the total
losses to something in excess Of $25,-f
100000 for the seven months since
the United States entered the war.
A graphic idea of what the fire
losses in the United States owe to the
-. +
gained from consideration of the fact
that the total fire insurance paid in
the United States in 1915, according
to the figures of the National Board of
Fire Underwriters, was $153, 000,0 900.
It is estimated that 60 per cent. of the
loss by fires in this country is repre-
scented in insurance. Therefore, the
total fire loss in the United States in
1915 was something over 5000, 900, 900.
OF the $153.000,G00. paid out by the
insurance companies, $6,200,000 was
represented by incendiary fires. A
total of $62,000,000 was charged to
fires from unknown causes.
In 1916 the total jumped by 20 per
cent, meaning an increase of about
SAC, 900, 600. The biggest items in this
loss were those sustained in munition
fires and explosions. Black Tom holds
the record with loss Of $11, 90, 900;
there was the Kingsland explosion, the
PENIS Grove explosion, and others all
generally admitted to be the work of
Spies which caused losses running into.
millions.
It was estimated yesterday by an in
| surance official that the incendiary
loss in 1915 was easily $25, 900, or
SIS, 000,0 above normal. And
| these figures take into consideration
only fires where the origin was prov
| ed to be incendiary. On the books
| of the underwriters the Black Tom
munitions fire is not listed as incen-.
| diary, because it was never definitely
| proved that a German spy set it 60
| ing.
| This increase in losses for 1916,
when the big munition explosions oc-
Cured, derives significance IN the dis
cussion of losses by spy fires since. this
country entered the war, because the
! figures of fire losses in the United
| States for 1917 may reach 100000
1 600, or a larger increase over 1916
| than 1915 losses showed over 1915.
An estimate made yesterday by the
| head Of a fire insurance company
| shows that If the average of the loss
/ es in the first seven months of the
year is maintained until Jan. 1 the to-
| tai would reach well above $250,00O,-
| 600. and with the increases of the
| past few months might easily total
| s300,000,000 as the cost of the Amer
| lean ash heaps for 1917.
Insurance men called attention re-
peatedly to the fact that this increase
was taking place despite the campaign
for fire prevention. 1t was admitted
4 hat the squirting up in business would