The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-08
STRICKEN TOWN
REAL FIRE TRAP
Underwriters Report Reveals
How Vulnerable Halifax
Was to Disaster.
MOSTLY BUILT OF WOOD
Firemen. Except Chief, Paid
Only on Call-Big Hazard
Even in Normal Times.
MOSTLY BUILT OF WOOD

The plight Of hapless Halifax AID
conditions that contributed to 1t: the
devastation following the explosion that
rocked her from tho citys topmost tower
to bed rock foundation beneath the
sea tho fires that seem to have
started simultaneously In the wreckage
Of buildings shaken down IN widely
sepa rated areas by the awful force OK
the explosion, all were forecast as pos
s,ble in a report got up q year ago
by the National Board OF Fire Ih.
derwriters at the request OF the Seva
Scotia board.
Officials Of the Home and cthar IN
surancs companies In this city were
counting half heartedly yesterday on
minimum lire losses. bas.ng surmlse on
the theory that the greater loss was in
buildings wrecked by conclusion and
presumably untouched by Are. but. as
one OF the officials pointed out. It Is
quite likely that the ovegturr:ng OF
stoves and the disarrangement o. e!ec-
tric wiring in these wrecked buildings
resulted In many fires. probably affect
ing the business section ltselr.
Few Fircproof BuildinEs.
speaking OF Are hazards In the buS!-
ness section the report said:
the district. but their combined area Is
| only 81 rer cent. OF the total building
area, and owing 20 their location would
act only as local fire barriers. Frame
| construction IL found IL ali bu. five OF
the blocks ard covers rea"iy one-third
of the area bull: on. II forms more
than one-thi!d OF the instruction in
ten blocks and more than two-.hirds in
three blocks; is per cent. Of the build
! iUgs have sl!ngle roofs: individual areas
are small with few exceptions, but
! where the buildings are grouped there
are few brick cut Oft walls and the
hazard in general from this type OF coli
! s,ruc;lon Is very high
1 II this condition prevails In the busi-
ness section, conditions elsewhere may
be imagined. But II is unnecessary to de-
pend on the Imagination entirely. The
report at least affords a spur in tho fol-
lowing:
Residential sections are mainly
frame with sh.ngle roofs. and though
most OF the dwellings are detached some
are in frame rows and thero Is the LA
bility Of extensive fires because of the
sh!nglc roofs.
Inspection OF Little Value.
The chief OF the Hre department,
makes occasional Inspections tor dan.
gerous conditions" the report continues
but these are of very little value and
records OF inspections are not kept"
iIalifax's condition would be haC
CROUCH IN a city well prepared "a fight
FIRE This. the report holes. the city o.
Halifax was not equipped 10 DO Just
how effectively her fr" department met
conditions that have p-ostrated the Nova
Scotian city Is 20: yet written. :o'
the uews comes bat slowly from the zont
of devastation. but ,he underwriters Z
year ago. In normal times, reported n;
follows:
Source of water supply barely adc
ouate, system somewhat. unreliable
fire supply seriously deficient through
out both low services ard only fair II
high service. Fire department; weak Il
trained men and apparatus, includinl
pumping capacity. Fire alarm system
seriously unreliable and inadequate"
Halifax then had fire engines. ? be
ing IN reserve; 8 hose wagons, 3 ladder
trucks and . chemical engines. Th
department was headed by Ch,e- I. J
, Broderick. 80 years old and fcrty-thre
yeas a fireman. The chic! was rul
paid, but others were paid on call. Tn
latter pnase was one ~ which the under
: Writer'S particularly objected.