The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-10-13
FIRE LOSSES HEAkLY
TWO MILLION DAILY
TIE Companies DO Not Lose; The
Public roots Tho Bill. Fully 80
ser Cent. OF Fires Arc The Re
sui OF CaPleSSnesS.

Probably the most famous COW III
all history was that Of Mrs. O'Leary
of Chicago. On the 9Th OF October
1871 Mrs. O'Leary's COW kicked
over lantern, ana this date is
celebrated from coast to coast each
year. The week OF October 9th Is
known as Fire Prevention week
throughout the land, because the
Chicago fire, caused by Mrs. O'Lea-
rvs COW and lantern, was one OF the
most disastrous ever occurring III
America.
The world is Mortified by the sink
ing of the Lusitania, by the East
land disaster, by the burning OF the
Iroauois theatre, or the collinWood
school, or by an earthquake IN san
Francisco or in Martinique. But
every year in the United States from
$4,000 to 10000 human beings lose
their lives by fire, and it ATTRACTS NJ
tie attention. Because these l5,OoO
lives are not all lost in one day, but
are scattered through the year and
through all the forty-eight states,
we accent the loss and only those
who are close to- the victims feel the
shock
At the same time We burn up
S3OO.OOO,0OO worth OF property
every wear in this country, and we
snend another $300,000,0G0 for fire
protection and fire fighting. This
5000 100000 debt reaches to every
ono of lis. The insurance COM
panies pay the losses, but they pay
them from money received BY them
as premiums. AS usual the puplc
pays the bill.
There IS only one va! That Amer
lea will effectually cut down It's nre
loss. and that is by eliminating from
me hazardous places all inflammable
material from it's buildings. The
loss is European countries Is only a
fraction of that in America. This Is
mot because the Europeans are more
careful or have more efficient IRE
protection, it is simply because they
learned years ago to bulld theil
homes, as we'll as their stores, SHOPS
and banks, Of permanent materials.
No infammable materials are used ii
exterior or exposed places. In spite
Of all The fire protection methods the
ire loss grows 6tIlI1uei
II costs no more in the long run to
nave a house built safe and perma-
nnnt than it does 10 have the otheT
kind. While the first cost may ID
instances be a litter higher, the uit1-
mate cost actually is less. because
The same qualities that make house
irosafe and permanent make 1t easy
70 maintain. Bricks do not have 70
he painted or repaired, and the say
ing to the home owner is many tunes
greater than the small difference ID
first cost between the brick house
end one that has to be painted.
When cities write building laws re
nuiring the exterior of all buildings
to be built of fire-resistiVe material
then the fire losses will be lessened'
fewer people will be burned up IL
their homes; all insurance premiums
will be lowered, and the cost OF
maintaining fire departments reduc-
ed. At the same time, home owning
will be encouraged, because the per
roanent home is not a burden upon
the owner. 1t does not depreclate
raDidlv. it IS more easily heated IN
cold weather and more comfortable
the year around.
Real fire prevention consists OF
building against fire. Fire proven
ton as practiced in this country has
insisted too much upon the theory
of Build as you please, but be care
full and don't have fire AS long
as buildings are built to burn, a
great number of them will burn.
Every permanent structure erected
IS a nail in the coffin OF the Fire Goo
who exacts such a tremendous toll OF
human life and property every year.