The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-31
rrrom an Insurance. Magasine. ]

rlins that fire becomes conHasra-
ion More technically, a conhagrar
ion has been defined as "a fire in
yolying number Of buildings, OF
such proportion that 1t Will material
" affect the loss ratio Of city for
A period of years" BY the floss
ratio" is meant the relation Of the
net losses incurred to the net pre-
miums received.
These catastrophes, because OF
factors which will be discussed later
on, occur at more or less irregular
throughout the United
States and have caused losses to date
estimated at over one billion, three
hundred millions Of dollars. Further
more, the danger of confiagratlon
exists today in every American city.
CONGREGATIONS vary IN magnitude.
There have been many comparatively
small ones and there have been
hoIocausrs such as
that which devastated San Francisco
following the earthquake of 1905. IT
is in the nature of fire to spread and
the speed of it's destructive progress
varies only according to '21'ing
conditions.
Since fire is largely, If not wholly
preventable, these terrible visitations
could be made matter Of historical
interest only, were the proper pre-
ventive measures instituted. The
necessary steps would be drastic N
some communities; in others they
would not require such wholesale
alterations. Whatever the cost, the
country would be well repaid in the
added safety to life and property
that would result, as well as in the
benefit that would ensue from the
reduction in our annual fire waste.
Rates do not come within the
province of the National Board Of
Fire Underwriters, but every student
of insurance matters realizes that
part of the fire insurance premium
must be husbanded with an eye TO
the ever-recurring conf1agratlons,
else the present solidity of the stock
underwriters would not exist.
Early CONGREGATIONS.
In considering great CONGREGATIONS,
the record perhaps should start with
Sodom and Gomorrah in 1000 B. c.,
and the razing of Troy IN 1854 B. G.
Rome suffered six great fires before
the beginning of the christian era, but
probably it's worst conflagration was
that of Ga A D. The emperor Nero
lis believed to have been the torch
on this occasion In order to gratlfy
his desire to see city on fire. He
lis said to have thought that the sight
would inspire him to lyric heights OF
musical and rhetorical composition
/ The city burned for week. The
/ great fire of London (1666), which
made over 100000 people homeless
and resulted in the institution of fire
insurance. stands out in the record
Of more modern fire destruction
while in recent history the San Fran
cisco confederation OF 1906 Is pre-
eminent.
In 1904 Baltimore was the scene
of a confagration that resulted II
such fires being made matter o.
scientific study. Following this fire
the executive committee OF the Ma
tional Board of Fire Underwater:
appointed special "commlttee o
twenty" to investigate the situation
at Baltimore and also to visit othe
cities and determine to what exten
they were in danger of slmiia
visitation. This committee later De
came the permanent committee OF
fire prevention and englneerml
standards whose work IN safeguard
ing cities against destruction by mr.
will be set forth in due course.
The terrific fire waste OF tn
United States today, approxlmatln
$500, 100000 a year, presents pror
lem that merits the consideration 0
levery patriotic citizen. The vita
Feature of the situation is, as ha
been mentioned, the fact that thl
sapping fire drain is 80 largely pre-
yentable The majority OF flres occu
In dwellings, due to numerous smal
habits of carelessness, and In man
CONGREGATIONS the residential sec
ltions have been the chief sufferers
This, however, has by no means pee
the rule, for fire is no respecter G
persons or property.
II has been said that the conf1at
ration menace exists in every amer
can city in greater or less degree
Not only is this true, but there ar
FEW cities that have not had sue
fires, Portland, Maine, had one
1886. Chicago had its great fire
1871: Boston has had four ser1ou
conflagrations- worst, in 1877
ragged for four days; the others o.
icurred in 1889, 1898 and 1908. Mass
lchusetts, in fact, appears to hold on
of the most prominent places on tn
record, with Lynn, Chelsea, saleI
and Fall River also involved. Othe
cities which have had serious co,
iflagrations are Jacksonville, Florid
19oD; Paterson, New Jersey (19O2)
New Orleans (19os); August
Georgia q90S and 1915; Rocheste
New York $1,000; Bangor, Mair
(1911): Houston, Texas (1912-tV
within three months); Hot Spring
Arkansas (1913); Paris, Tex
u916); Atlanta, Georgia (191D, al
Mobile, Alabama G919). This list
only partial; In 1916 alone there we
recorded forty-five CONGREGATIONS
yolying losses ranging from $4,000
up to s11, 100000.
How They Originated.
The various CONGREGATIONS ha'
originated from a number OF diffe
ent causes. In the majority of cas-
...,~aro+to, hoe hean so compile