Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1921-09-26
Poster Reveales That $4,000
Killed in U. S. and
los in Iowa Last
Year.
OTHER STATISTICS
What Fires Mean to the
Country in the way of
Destruction.

IVISOuS W uO CAUuAIC sdSOiAHC tObhs
with lighted matches should telephone
the undertaken before lighting the
match
This is the outstanding advice of
j. A. Tracy, state fire marshal. in a
large attractive poster announcing
Iowa Fire Prevention day for Monday,
Oct. 10, when all citizens are called
upon to ''Help Make Iowa Fireproof."
The day selected is the fiftieth ami
versary Of the great Chicago fire of
1871.
Governors Proclamation.
The center of the poster contains
proclamation by Gov. n. E. Kendall.
earnestly recommending that the day
be generally observed by public Off
Gals, civic organizations, educational
institutions and private individuals, to
the end that life may be saved and
property conserved for the beneficient
uses of mankind. The governor par
ticularly invokes the assistance of the
schools of the state and the newspapers
as the most effective agencies Of en-
1ightment and reform in our country.
Makes Startling Revelations.
Flashed on the poster is the startling
fact that the nations toll was over To-
600 killed and $4,000 injured as a re-
suit of fire, and over $5O5, 100000 in
property was lost by fires in 1920.
In Iowa alone there were 105 deaths
reported as direct result of fire. in ~
cases of which gasoline or coal oil were
involved.
Staring at the reader in letters Of
red lowa's fire record for 1920 is Civ
en- as 1853 fires, totalling n loss Of
S0,O4O.357.
Fire and Education.
p. E. McClcnahan, state superintend-
Ont of public instruction, is quoted on
the effects Of education by fire losses
MS follows:
In 1920 20 Iowa school buildings
were burned with total loss of $780,
o. These losses were in 81 different
counties in Iowa. These fires were all
What loss in money. But |
greater Is the loss in education to the
children. The time they will lose can
never be returned"
Hot Shots OH Fire Losses.
In bringing home to the mind Of the
average citizen the need fOr observance
of Fire Prevention day, Marshal Tracy
includes pertinent excerpts Of fire pre-
vention wisdom:
MANY merchants do not seem to rea-
alize that the most expensive stock they
carry is waste paper and rubbish
Zone gallon of gasoline properly
mixed with air is equal in explosive
power to So pounds of dynamite
Persons who examine gasoline tanks
with lighted matches should telephone
the undertaken before lighting the
match. Persons who start fires in
stoves with coal oil should make like
provisions for the inevitable"
1.-THE average number of fires in the
United States each day is about 1850.
three. fourths of which are from care
lessness'
"On an average five schoolhouses are
burned each day during the school Pc
Rod III the United States: and still
people kick on having fire drills"
"Scllool teachers are subject to pen
atty for failure to have fire drills
and teach fire prevention"
oily rags will start n fire by spon
taneOus combustion
"The best way to fight fires is to
fight them before they start. which
ran be done by close inspection and