The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-09-29
Fire Prevention Week.


none has more direct personal bear
ing than oct. 9, anniversary or the
Chicago fire, which has been OBJ
served for some time as fire proven
ton day, aided and nbetted by the
National Fire Prevention association.
So important has the subject become
that the entire week beginning Mon
day. Oct. 4, will be devoted TO fire
prevention week,
The losses by fire are enormous
and constantly inceasing. The wealth
Of An empire goes up as an oblation
10 the fire god, aided and abetted by
his high priest. Carelessness. The
figures are illuminating. In 1915 the
loss was almost S1s3.000.0 900; in 1916
It had jumped to s231, 900. 900: in 1917
Il was still on the increase, $751;
900, 900 in property going into the fire
demons rapacious NAV. The year
1918 It had jumped to the stupendous
total of 33l7,O0O,000, an amount only
surpassed in the fateful year Of 1906,
when fire and earthquake destroyed
San Francisco, Last year the aggre-
gate amount destroyed was $26a,
900, 900. Such an enormous drain upon
the wealth of nation Is terrifying
Last year Memphis had 1.S2O
alarms with a property loss of $3.50
903. In that same length OF time
Nashville had 70S alarms and con-
tributed $4O6,75l to the fire ficnd.
Knoxville came next with 5o7 alarms
and n loss Of Sl19,662, and while
Chattanooga had only AL alarms its
losses were larger, 32O6,6S1. In other
words, in the state Of Tennessee
alone, In the four principal cities,
there was fire loss OF $1.3S4,137 as
our contribution to the huge national
total.
Another interesting phase is the
appalling loss by forest fires. The
nation is concerned over her failing
timber supply Lumber is scarce
and increasing demand is making it
scarcer. Newspapers all over the
country are dying for lack of wood
pulp to make newsprnt. A famine
is impending. Yet in Idaho alone,
last year more than a million acres
OF virgin timber went up in smoke.
In Northern Minnesota smoke from
forest fires for two weeks made the
skies so dark that street lamps had
10 be lighted as far south as Omaha,
The average loss OF timber in this
country Is $20,737, 600.
Nor is this the sum total of our
loss. National recreation and camp
ing grounds are destroyed and graz
ing lands completely ruined. Last
year cattlemen paid $2,6Os.l69 for the
privilege Of grazing cattle on pub
lie domains. This goes a long way
toward making the forest service
self-sustaining. Forest fires destroy
this source OF revenue
The soil losses from fires are
startling, nor does It end there. When
forests burn, fish, fowls and animals
suffer. Rains that would ordinarily
be retained by roots of trees rush
over the land in huge torrents, kill
ing the land they would ordinarily
enrich. For instance, near the town
Of Piru, Niger Canon, CAL a forest
fire destroyed 100 acres of watershed.
Two months later rains swamped out
four acres OF lemon orchard and 10
acres Of orange orchard. At Los
Angeles 700 acres of chapparal was
burned over. and rain that usually
would have been OF value to agri-
culture did damage to the extent Of
100000.
Much of this appalling loss
throughout the country is due to
carelcssness Of the most inexCusable
character, use Of coal oil and gaso-
line to light fires; the still burning
match and lighted cigaret careessly
tossed aside has many crimes to
answer for.
II is these and other such criml-
nal acts ms these that the state OF
Tennessee. through its efficient in
surancc commissioner, W. r. Bell. is
striving 10y every means to overcome.
The importance Of the subject has
caused the time to he extended from
a day 10 "A week. Success or fail
ure means much to our country. It
is to be hoped that the association
will receive the cooperation Of every
man, woman and child in Memphis
and throughout the entire country. 1t
is needed
In "A SICplh M Stony cav /,