El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-25
Insurance RARE
OFF, PaSO The
LO1geSt In Texas
Efficient Fire Department
Reduces Loss Greatly
During Past Year.


That FL Paso enjoys the lowest fire
Insurance key rate OF any Of the
cities OF Texas-15 cents. is due TO
the fact that It has one OF the best
equipped and most efficient fire de-
partments in the state. This state
ment is made on the word Of all the
fire underwriters IN the city. who
have a financial interest in knowing.
Because OF the extremely low fire
loss in this city during 1918. those
J carrying insurance will be given a
credit Of a goodly percentage Of their
premiums this year This is due 20
an efficient fire department.
Few Fires Last Year.
The year Just closed showed a re-
markable falling off in the number OF
alarms OF fire turned IN by property
owners ard householders. as against
1917. Then there were AL calls for
help in the matter Of saving property
from the "devouring element" while
last year there we're but SOL
The fire chief gives the credit for
the Improvement to the general pub
IL. I'VE have appealed to the people
OF the city TO be careful in the mat
ter Of guarding against fire. on the
ground that fires mean waste and
that waste IN war time was unpa-
tr'otic." said chief John Wray, and
the essen seems 10 have been taken
Many Curious Causes.
An ANALYSIS OF the report covering
the fires Of 1918 is interesting. in that
1t reveals causes OF fires OF which
many people never dream
OF the sol fires Of the year 20 we're
caused BY children PLAYING with
matches and some OF them were cos
" for the parents Of the playful
children Il was long supposed II had
been learned that children should not
be permitted to play with matches
Carelessness with gasoline was an
other prolific cause or cars LOT Slu
from the fire department 1t was be
Iieved that there had been perfect
education along the line that gasoline
was a fluid not to be tempered with
or handled carelessly. especially win
in doors. but. according to the nre
chief there are some who refuse 70
learn except through bitter expert
Rats and Mice start BIaEes-
A number OF the fires OF last year
were started BY rates or mice gnaW-
OF last years fires. 20 Of the 3of
calls for help came from outside the
city limits The department. Is 70. not
com PEELED 70 run TO biazes originating
beyond corporate control. but do so.
where there are paved
streets which can be negotiated by
the auto equipment. In order TO give
protection to property holders VINO
TO all intents and purposes. are resi-
dents and do business In Greater II
Paso" In too many cases the calls
to the suburbs are futile. says the IRE
chief. because Of the inadequate wa
ter sunnIv, due to small mains ana
lack OF fire plugs
Loss Less Than Percent.
The total value OF the property at
tackled by flames in the sol calls or
1918 was $685.. 725-75. carrying to-
sustained was but S211.69O12. OF less
than Z percent. and this in spite OF
the fact that two OF the fires Of the
wear. that which destroyed the Fl
Paso Printing company and another
Witch fid Great d7-'a~e 20 : snons !
Of the Fl Paso & Southwestern rail.
way system. were among the most
lisa strous fires occurring IN the city
since Il was founded
Telephone Freely Used.
That the people have learned 10 I
give heed to the admonition OF every l
Fire chief since the re de~4ri-@ ~ /
was created. to the effect that the I
thing to do Is to send in an alarm I
first and try to fight the flames att I
erwards, IS evidenced by the number
u alarms turned IN BY telephone. An
expensive automatic fire alarm sys- !
TEN has been installed throughout the 4
city. with boxes al convenient street I
corners. but Of the sol calls OF Est
year 2os were sent IN BY telephone
a Word From TIE chief.
Speaking OF this use OF the tele- I
phone as a means OF giving notice
Of fire, chief Wray said:
Z cannot put too much stress upon
q. IL -
lie OF getting the alarm 70 Us as soon Z
as possible after the fire is discov-
cred Even with all that has been
said on this question. too many men
and women try 10 fight the fire first, Z
with the hope OF putting II out. only
to find that II has got beyond them.
and then. IN their desnair. they rush
to the telephone and call the denart-
ment This loss o. time sometimes
means that when We arrive we find
nothing left TO do but prevent spread
Of the flames to surrounding prop
Pho-- Fi-~ts Fi-ht sf.-r.
Urge the people TO call rs first
and do their private fire fighting
after. We will not find fault n. when
we get 20 the DESIGNATED place. we
find the fire has been extinEuished.
but there Is apt to be heart burning
on the part OF the owner OF the prop
erty. II bv his or her delay in calling
Us. the blaze gets such Roadway that
we cannot save the building when we
do reach the scene: and the fault win
not be ours IN that case"
Causes OF Fires.
The following detailed report OF the
causes OF last wears fires may serve
as a lesson REGARDING dangers which
NAV be averted by having attention
called 70 them:
False alarms -...-... 81
Unknown causes ................. 81
Gasoline carelessness - 20