The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-12-17
FIRE LOSSES REACH
s2,ooo,ooo PER DAY

insured and uninsured, with the
maintenance of the Fire Depart
ment and Water Supply Service,
costs the United States more than
O,O0o}a day. Last year 1923
persons were burned to death and
1854 were seriously injured. Eigh-
ty-two per cent of the dead and in
iured were mothers and children un-
der school age, and 90 per cent OF
the fires were caused by careless
ness or neglect.
These figures wee given by T.
Alfred Fleming, Supervisor Con-
servation Department National
Board Of, Fire Marshals' Convention
which ended it's convention at the
Hotel Astor in New York last Sat-
urday. Delegates from twenty-eight
States and from Canada attended
the sessions nd discussed ways and
mems of reducing the fire hazard.
"Only as we are able to secure
correct statistics on the causes OF
fires" said Mr.. Fleming, "are we
able to adequately cope with condi-
tions that exist and bring to; sthe at
tention Of the people ,rthe 1peed OF
their cooperation: This: is eaecom-
plished by a most, accsaEate ssystem
Of accounting established by the
Acturial Bureau, fren which any
fire marshal may now secure com
plete tabulations Of all classes in
their respective states.
"The United States has over 25,.
! 0Oo, 900 people today housed in tenn
porary quarters and without ade'
quate home provisions. If 100000
homes were built in the United
States next week, it would not care
for adequately those who are at
present in temporary quarters. Al
the same time, the United States is
burning 8S9 homes for every work
ing day, causing loss in dwellings
alone of ,s2S3,0O0. Sixty-five PEI
cent of the number Of fires in the
United States take place in dwell
ings, and most Of these originate
from trivial and prevental cause.
Schools Inadequately Protected
"By a careful survey Of the con-
dition of school buildings through
the country, it is found that the les
sons learned in the Colinwood
School fire has already been forgot
ten. Boards Of Education are elect
ed to take care of, and are made re-
sponsible for, the education system
of the country and the welfare OF
the pupils. Over 80 per cent Of the
school houses in the United States
are nothing but veritable firetraps'
No member of the Board of Educa-
! ton has done his duty until he has
given every possible protection Ito
the children entrusted to his care.
"In the last five years S29,271,-
900 in value in dwelling houses has
been consumed from one cause
sparks lighting on shingle roofs. The
average business men with 100000
will not be satisfied until he has it
safely within the vaults of the
strongest bank, while the same man
will house his wife and family in a
wooden timber box of home with
shingle roof, awaiting the vagrant
spark from a passing engine or
burning chimney.
"The hazArd of electricity has
been very much underestimated. In
1919 $15,444,653 in value was de-
stroyed from electric causes. Forty
six per cent Of this amount ISL as4
,ezibed to the electric iron. .....
~ >"At the present time there is a
movement on foot to interest and
cooperate the. forces available
throughout the entire United
States for the education Of the chill
dren in the schools, women in the
homes and men in the factories; so
that all may be able together to eli
mtnate much Of the careless waste.
During the present period of
price fluctuations and changing val
ues the economic loss to the country
as a result of fire reaches a stupen-