Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-09
SMOKERS CAUSED
MANY FIRES IN
UNITED STATES
SIS, 1000, 900 Worth Of Prop.
erty Lost in Country by
Carelessness.
IeF UI 6lFOCp0C, anu
hve:miIe marathon.

New York, Jan. 9.-Careless smok-
ers and users of matches were re-
sponsible for SIS, ,5564 of the total
by "preventable fires" in the United
States during 1918, according to
members of the Fire Marshals' asso-
citation of North America who are
holding a two days conference here
with the National Board of Fire I'm
derwriters beginning today
Figures showing hat the United
States leads the world in property de-
struction by fire were given in the
opening session, the damage per capi-
ia being stated as $2.10 annually in
this country as compared wfthyss49
cents in, France, SO cents in England,
'28 cents in: Germany, 25 cents I'M. italy
and Austria, IS cents in Switzerland
and II cents in Holland.
Homer Rutledge, of Lansing, Mich,
fire marshal of that state, discussed
1.-The Arson Trust and showed how
incendiaries had burned $8,121,816
worth of property in one year during
the war, exclusive of the many other
millions destroyed indirectly by ex-
plosions. Ole o. Roe, of Des Moines,
fire marshal of Iowa, in an address on
"Pyromania," said education vas one
Of the most efficient means of COM
batting this evil. F. r. Morgaridge of
New York, formerly assistant fire
marshal Of Indiana, said most fire.
bugs were adolescent boys and girls.
He advocated proper home and
school training.
Despite the fact that the United
agents were active, twenty states re-
n0rfo6 a ,1j0hf 1~oorooco in tho nnn,
Der Of cases Of arson. While 1t was
announced as a fact that in the first
nine months after America drew the
sword of SAB, 600, 600. worth of war in
dustries went up in smoke, in only
ten per cent Of these cases was there
even suspicion of spy-work. Care
lessness'' was designated as the big
gest frebug of all. One grain elevator
fire alone destroyed enough wheat to
make a years supply Of bread for
100000 soldiers. r
NJ Many fires at first attributed to
German spies and pyromaniacs we're
found, upon Investigation, to be due
to other, causes. One notable in
waterfront fire in Brooklyn, the Dow's
Stores, in which a vas quanaity of
grain intended for shipment to the
Allies was destroyed: 1t was discov-
cred that the blaze was the result Of
a dust explosion caused by a spark
either from friction or static electrici-
ty. Another. conspicuous instance was
the Baltimore pier fire which at first
was positively ascribed to pro-German
plotters. Rigid investigation by Fed
eral agents, according to fire mar
shals definitely determined its nom
incendiary origin.
Following a reference to the Nor
gan, Ms j., disaster in whichcneArly
900, 900 damage done, delegates spoke
Of the work accomplished the past
year by the fire prevention section Of
the War INDUSTRIES Board. This bur-
eau, It was stated, had inspected more
than 1000 large plants valued at over
10000, 100000 and in . large per-
centage Of cases the s'safety'' recon-
mendations Of it's volunteer dollar-a-
year engineers we're carried out. a3
It was stated that fire prevention
methods adopted for the sixteen large
army eantonments throughout the
United States had proved mostgefnec-
,ol. wooden buildings. Hazards were
reduced to the minimum by 4 proper
watchfulness. water projection. 1so-
lation. conduiting and enforcement Of
regulations In regard to smoking and
the > Of matches n d,ltgttA
nc. Brearly, Of the speakers,
said New York city was in Imminent
peril Of a great.confiagration when on
November z. after the erroneous re-
port OF the German surrender, a
storm. Of paper was thrown from
the windows OF business buildings lit.
texjngs the streets to q depth; Of. sey-
eral inches and many miles 81 ticker
Empowering telegraph and telephone
wires constituted Z fre haSard Of the