Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1917-01-25
MEXICO FIRE LOSSES ARE
REPORTED VERY HIGH
Report Of Missouri Inspection Bureau
on Conditions in Mexico Are
Rather Alarming.
CRITICIsE FIRE EQUIPMENT
Report Says Once a Fire is Well
Started in Business Section
4 Would Involve Heavy Loss.


ditions in Mexico state that the loss
here in the last years, according to
local records, is $213,675, which is
high. 1t states the fire fighting
equipment Of the city is inadequate
and insufficiently manned. While
the loss in the residential district has
not been great, the report concludes
that a fire in the business section, if
given sufficient headway, could hard
ly be halted before involving a large
area.
The following is taken from the re-
port showing the conditions observed
by the engineer who made the in
spection and his suggestions as to
meathods for lowering the fire haz-
ard here:
CONGESTED HAZARDS.
The principal mercantile district
comprises about eight blocks or parts
of blocks, built up around a 300-foot
public square and composed mainly of
2-story joisted brick buildings with
few 8 and 4 story and an occasional
frame building. The buildings, ex-
cept in few cases, are of moderate
areas, but owing to, in the more con-
gested blocks, the unprotected expos
ures and some large areas it is prob
able that a fire once under headway
would readily involve considerable
areas. A insufficiently manned and
inadequately equipped fire department
tends to incease the potential hazard
for general fire. In other sections
the hazard is largely local; in most
residential sections it is low.
Fire Records.
The gross fire loss for the past six
years, as taken from the records of
the fire department, was S213,675,
based on average population of 5000,
the average annual number Of fires
per 1000 population was 5.26 a high
figure and the average annual loss
per capita was s5.94, a very high fig
ure.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Water Supply.
(D Recommend that high lift
pumps be driven by individual steam
or electric motors directly
connected to pumps thereby eliminat-
ing the element Of unreliability in
with the present motive
power service.
(2) Provide ample fire protection
Tor pumping stations comprising hand
chemical extinguishers inside stand
pipe and hose service.
(3) Provide metal boiler stacks at
high lift station with 1S inch clear
lnce to unprotected wood in roof, this !
clearance may be reduced to IL inches, |
provided standard metal jackets are
(Q That a 6-inch pipe be adopt |
ID as the standard minimum size of |
main used for hydrant supply and that
he distribution system be strength
med by gradually completing grid
ron system and connecting up dead
nds.
(5) Hydrants to be installed so that
neral spacing will be 15U to 300
nercantile districts and from 300 to
00' built up residential sections
Iydrants to be inspected and flush
d at least semi-annually.
(6) That distribution system be
radually equipped with gate valves
o that no more than 1000 in mer-
antile districts and 1900 residential
ections will be out of service in the
vent of breakage or repair to pipe
ystems. Valves should be inspected
Fire Department.
~ Increase the number of full
aid men from one to two with eight
all men. Paid men to sleep at sta
on and be required to do fire duty.
IL members to be regularly drilled
/ use of ladders, handling of hose
nd minor equipment.
(8) That department be provided
18th service hook and ladder truck,
quipped with extension ladders of
nfficient length for higher build
lgs, short ladders and usual minor
quipment. Truck to be arranged
lat it can be drawn by horses.
t9) Maintain at all times at least
800 feet of good, serivicable fire
apartment hose. All hose should be
'sted annually to 150 pounds hydros.
ltic pressure.
(10) Minor equipment to COM
rise some new nozzles of larger cal
er, cellar pipe, burst hose jackets,
ose straps, smoke masks, hydrant
ose gate and hand chemical extin-
(11) Recommend that places Of
lsiness and residences of call menu
srs be provided with alarm bells or
lephones connected to fire alarm
stem.
Ordinances.
(12) Suitable building, electrical 7
ws and ordinances relative to stor- =
re of explosives and inflammable
ith proper Fire Department supervi-
on, are advised.
j. E. Mosley, of Fulton, has pur-
lased the sixtys-aTe farm three
lies southwest of Mexico from w.