The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-11
UNITED STATES LEADS
WORLD IN FIRE LOSS
Careless Smokers and Users of Matches
Were Responsible for $15,724,S56 Of
Total Loss in Preventable
Fires During 1918.


New York, Jan. ll-Careless smokers
and users of matches were responsible for
$751; 500 of the total loss of 500, 446, 054
worth of property by "preyentable fires"
in the United States during 1918, accord
ing to members Of the Fire Marshals'
Association Of North America, who are
holding two days conference here with
the National Board of Fire Underwriters
beginning to-day.
Figures showing that the United
States leads the world in property de-
struction by fire were given in the open
ing session, the damage per capita being
stated as S2.l0 annually in this country
as compared with 40 cents in France, SO
cents in England, 2S cents in Germany,
25 cents in Italy and Austria, Is cents in
Switzerland and IL cents in Holland.
Homer Rutledge of Lansing, Mich, fire
marshal of that state discussed "The Ar
son Trust" and showed how incendiaries
had burned Ss,l2l,sl6 worth Of property
in one year during the war, exclusive of
the many other millions destroyed indi.
rectly by explosions. Ole 0. Roe of Des
Moines, fire marshal of Iowa, in an ad-
dress on "Pyromania," said education
was one of the most efficient means of
combating this evil F. R. Morgaridge of
New York, formerly assistant fire mar
shall of Indiana, said most firebugs were
adolescent boys and girls. He advocated
proper home and school training
Despite the fact that the United States
was at war and that enemy agents were
active, 20 states reported slight de-
crease in the number of cases of arson.
While it was announced as fact that in
the first nine months after America drew
the sword S43, 100000 worth of war in
dustries went up in smoke, in only 10
per cent of these cases was there even
suspicion Of spy work. "Carelessness"
was designated as the biggest firebug Of
all. One grain elevator fire alone de-
stroyed enough wheat to make years
supply of bread for 100000 soldiers.
Many fires at first attributed TO Ger
man spies and pyromaniacs were found,
causes. One notable instance was a
spectacular and costly waterfront fire in
Brooklyn, the BOWS stores, in which a
vast quantity of grain intended for ship
ment to the allies was destroyed. II was
discovered that the blaze was the result
of dust explosion caused by a spark
either from friction or static electricity.
Another conspicuous instance was the
Baltimore pier fire which at first was
positively ascribed to pro-German plot
tiers. Rigid investigation by federal
agents, according to fire marshals, def
nitely determined its n.incendiary or
igin.
Following q reference to the Morgan,
N. j., disaster in which nearly 100 lives
were lost and S20.0O0,000 damage done,
delegates spoke of the work accomplished
the past year by the fire prevention sec
tion of the war industries board. This
bureau, ii was stated, had inspected more
than 1000 large plants valued at over
$4,000, 100000 and in large percentage
Of cases the safety" recommendations
of its volunteer dollar.a-year engineers
were carried out.
1t was stated that fire prevention
methods adopted for the is large army
environments throughout the United
States had proved most effective although
these camps consisted of wooden build
ings Hazards were reduced to the min
mum by proper watchfulness, water pro-
lection, isolation eonduiting and enforce
ment of regulations in regard to smoking
and the Use of matches and lights.
II. c. Brearly, one of the speakers, said
New York City was in imminent peril OF
a great confagration when on Nov. Z,
after the erroneous report of the German
surrender, storm" Of paper was
thrown from the windows of business
buildings litteriug the streets to a depth
of several inches and many miles of tick
err tape covering telegraph and telephone
wires constituted fire hazard of the nth
power. Fire Chief KenIon of New York
City declared that if a serious blaze had
started at that time, or on Nov. IL, four
days later when the scenes of pandemo-
MUM were repeated, all New York might
have been laid in ashes The fire depart
ments would have been crippled also, he
said, by the crowds Of traffic congestion
in the streets. As one Of the delegates
expressed it, "Thus was invited the
greatest loss of life and property, per.
haps, in American history"
The fire marshals present at the con
ference with the underwriters included
five committees on cooperation between
the two organizations, whose efforts are
directed to warning on carelessness" and
to increasing the efficiency Of fire pre-
vention in the United States. These com
mittees follow: Incendiarism and arson,
r. S. Barlow, New York, chairman, Ho.
mer Rutledge, Lansing, Mich, +. r. Nor
garidge, New York, Ole O. Row, Des
Moiues, la actuarial bureau, James wy
per, Hartford, Conn, chairman, John G.
Gambler, Springfield, Ill.,, Charles H. Lum,
New York, L. T. Hussey, Topeka, Kan;
fire prevention and construction OF build
ings, Sheldon Catlin, Philadelphia, chair
man, James R. Young, Raleigh, n. C..
George W. Booth, Ira Il. Woolson and
Chief John Kenlon of the New York fire
department; public relations, f. w. West
of Glens Falls, n Y, chairman, Goodwin
Lee, r. A, Fleming and H. G., Brearly of