Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-14
Great DANGER From Fires.

Great Danger FROM rifes-
The recent destructive fires at Lewes
,pd MiIlsboro again emphasize the neces-
sty for the exercise of the greatest care
on tbe part of every community 70 pre-
vent such unnecessary losses of property
and the attendant risk OF life. Possibly
the fres in both towns could have been
avsrted by the exercise of ordinary care
and prudence, providing, OF course, they
wese not set by some one We have mad
two or three fires in Wilmington during
the last few weeks that might have been
averted had the person entrusted with
the enforcement of the prevention laws
gwen attention 70 the business entrusted
10 him. The blaze in the apartment house
AZ Twelfth and Msrket streets was per
hsp4 the clearest illustration Of the neglect
81 the fire prevention Inspector. and IT IS
Mid there are evidences Of the same neg
let 10 be observed in many other apart
men. houses and possibly in the majority
of dwellings in the city.
The information Is to the effect that
an opportunity 70 look into the Easements
II two apartment houses, one N which
the informant lived. disclosed an abund-
ance Of old papers loosely strewn about
the floor. with an accumulation of ex-
celsior packing and considerable quanti-
~ 81 drv pine boxes and parts thereof that
would burn like tinder were spark sp-
plled The same conditions were OBJ
served IN the other apartment that came
under observa tion, and probably applies 70
others
The fact j. apparent that the duty Of
inspection has not been performed proper
w. and also. that had there been an in
spection Of the apartment 81 Twelfth and
Market streets prior 70 the fire. and
remedial orders issued and enforced. the
destructive blaze might have been avert
ed
There IS not the least doubt the ad-
ministration Of our fire protection laws
has almost always been Lax and inefficient,
but probably never 80 much IS st the
present time. II would be a good plsp
Il at each apartment house there should
be committee composed Of tenants, TO
insl.t that they be shown through the
hidden spaces of the buildings, and thst
the fire escapes be tested IN Their presence.
II would be sssuriDg TO those who lived
in houses sheltering large numbers Of people
after left 70 the care Of needless or ire
sponslble janitoT.
City Solicitor Huxley informs Every
Evening that the only official having
jurisdiction or authority in the inspection
Of premise. for the prevention Of fire ls
the chief engineer Of the Fire Department
AZ the scope Of his work also includes the !
inspection Of fire escapes and al other fire |
mstters, and sc he has business Of his |
own requiring almost constant attention I
and soon he Will enter upon bis duties as
State Senstor-it is obvious he can have /
little tirne 10 Gve 10 FIRE matters, and it is +
sl.o quite reasonable 10 assume there has /.
not been proper inspection Of big build I
inRs W dwellings for months, and, if in
deed, we have ever had such an exanina
ton Of premises q. would give warrant /
that even the most ordinary precautions I
we're taken against FIRE
II Is hoped the new charter will order
the matter better, 50 ss TO reduce the
possibilities of FIRE TO the lowest possible |
minimum. Il ls suggested that al least /
oDe woman De designated IN the ap
pointees under the new charter for in /
spectpg dwellings and the suggestion
is good one. Women have much bet
ter sense of the value Of keeping the cellar /
aud attic free from dangerous litter
than most men have
Meantime, while We are waiting for the
new charter, with official inspectors, let /
the tenants Of apartment houses be
shown that ample provision is made for
prevention d fires, and assure themselves
that the fire escapes are readily available
and In good working order at 81 times