Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-24
STATE FIRE MARsHAL's REPORT
SHOWS DECLINE OF NEAR.
"a ~ MILLION DOLLARS.
LOSSES FROM 1883 FIRES
:, AGGREGATE 3e,44o,77i
Ninsty.six Deaths From Eires-1e5
Suspicious eiaxss, Thirteen Arson
Convictions-Causs Of 924 Fires
Unknown-ohtdvsn Playing With
EatS',ss Resulted Ia Sas,sa7 Le...

Des Motnes, March 4E-The eighth
annual report Of Ole O. Roe. state fire
marshal, Is at hand. This will be the
last report received from AGr. Roc a. he
has tsndesed - reAgnAkaon from Of
flee, effeoAive tho nrst Of April.
From tho ssport 4 h found that the
loss by ffye oV0s th> stnee duSine the
year 1918 ws less ~ over three
quarters Of Z million dollars than It
was diving the year previous. This
fact would seem enoourae1n6 n view
Of the fact that the total loss In the
United States and Canada vas $780,
900 greater during tho year than the
preceding year.
For the entire year there were 1898
fires reported to the office, involving
a loss Of $6,440,T1, the property in
volved being valued at over $4,000
900. OF the total loss reported there
was $4,1SS,034 covered by insurance,
leaving a loss Of approximately two
and three quarter millions over the
insurance.
The average dsi1y fire loss In the
state was $17,645 and tho average loss
at each fire was $l,466. Tho per cap
ita loss during the year was $2.7S.
There were SO deaths due to the d.
rect result of fire in the state during
the year. OF these 20 were men, AZ
women, and 04 children. In - of
these fatalities the fire and death was
due primarily to gasolene or coal oil.
There were 165 suspicious fires in
vestigated by the department during
the year, in addition to nearly thous-
and inspections. In addition to the
number Of old prosecutions pending
at the opening Of the year there were
IS arrests and prosecutions during the
year for arson and other crimes by
this department. OF the cases tried
IND convistions secured or pleas OF
guilty entered there were Is. Six OF
these were sentenced to the penlten-
.iary, two to the industrial school at
Eldora, four to the hospitals for the
feeble minded and two were paroled
by the court sitter sentences.
In Story county there were thirty
four fires reported during the year. en-
failing damage to the building and
contents of 343,e11. Tho va1ae Of the
property consisting Of the buildings
and contents was placed at S9s.74o'
The property was insured for $bs,0oo
and the excess Of the loss over the In
suranee was placed at s1e,5s6. There
were five fires where there was no IN
,urance entailing a loss Of 1885.
OF the 1898 fires in the state during
The wear the cause Of them was I'M
known in Sa4 cases. Sparks from a
aue caused $50, defective fiues 800,
adjoining fires S1s, lightning 214,
,mokers' carelessness ninety-four. en-
failing a loss Of almost hundred
thousand dollars. Children playing
With matches eighty, with Joss OF
ss5,S37 and defective wiring seventy
eight with q loss of $176.2S3.
The balance Of the fires were caused
nv widely varied reasons. Some
of the peculiar causes noted W>re
burning insects in hen houses, care
,essness with electric fans, Christmas
trees and decorations, fireworks, fu-
migation, heating coal, oil and paint
on stoves, hot irons in beds, lncuoa-
tors lack o'lanterns, looking Tor gas
leaks with matches, paper covered
fire hole, peace celebration, rubbish IN
buildings and easements. smoking QUIZ
bees. starting FIRE with coal oil, start
ing fire with gasolene mistaken Tor
coa1 oil. tar boiling over, etc.
One bow started a fire when a nall
in his shoe iguited the gasolene IN
steel tank upon which ne Junpeu'
There was one fire as a result or tne
peace celebration and the suns rays
thru a window started one fire. Iramps
we're held responsible for one ire anu
there were seventy-n fires IN inc
state attributed to incidentalness.