Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-09-28
Low Fire Loss In North State.

|
used by State Insurance Commission
er Stacy w Wade in announcing that
the fire in North Carolina in August
was SS4,6S9 from So fires, as compared
with the former low record of June,
1922, when there was loss of $105 ,9OS
in 96 fires.
! In August, 1922, there were 1875
fires, representing a loss of 1921, ,29S,
according to records.
Analysis of the detailed first re-
port issued by Commissioner Wade
shows total property at risk in Au-
gust, this year, is valued at $1,526,000,
on which insurance was carried in the
sum of S1,325,000 OF the total loss
of $St.6S9, s56O0O was due to seasonal
and extra hazardous risks in a rela-
| lively small number of fires, accord
ing to the report, which gives as losses
in this class a saw mill and lumber
plant burned at a loss of $35 900;
fires due to lightning, $1,000; and to-
bacco curing barns, $11 1500.
| The actual normal fire loss was
given as S27,1S9 OF this loss, 38
town and six rural dwellings had a
damage of $21 ,664, leaving the normal
fire loss in all the factories. stores,
warehouses, garages, churches, schools
and other buildings at $5,525, accord
ing
Besides the destruction of one
store by lightning, there were only
| three store fires in August and the
total loss in these totaled only $125,-
the report stated.
| Not single hotel fire was reported
| in August, although there We're hum
dreds of mountain, seashore and
| spring resorts open besides the regu-
lar commercial hostelries. In this
connection Commissioner Wade said:
| If every month could show the abb
senee of high losses from business and
| industrial fires as had the month Of
August, North Carolina would be at
the head of the national fire loss list
every month. as it does this month
and millions of dollars would be saved
in both property and insurance costs.
1t shows every month that the masses
of the people are being most careful
with fire, while the losses really come
from the business population. general
ly conceded to be the promoters and
conservaAors of wealth and progress,
and more largely concerned for safety
first providence"
Out of 106 organized fire depart
ment towns and cities in the state,
the total fire loss was $4,000 an av-
erage of S175 per city with not a
single fire in the $1,000 and more
class, stated the report
One hundred and twenty-four towns
and rs counties reported no fire loss 81
and were placed on the insurance d ,
partment's honor roll Durham and
Henderson went on the honor roll for
the second month in succession.
Among the other towns and cities re-
porting no fires, were Goldsboro. Will
son, Greenville, Washington, Eliza
beth City, Oxford, Clinton Concord
Monroe. Gastonia, Lumberton, Mount
y
and Statesvile. Among the counties
placed on the honor roll were Wake
CASTOR, Davidson, lredell Rocking
ham. Robson, Haywood and Lee.
| Structures involved in fires were
given as follows; Dwellings, "A:
stores, 4; factories, lumber plants, ga
RACES and unstored automobiles, three
each, with nominal losses; churches,
one, by lightning
Causes or types of fires were given
as follows:
Tobacco curing barns, 10; shingle
roofs and defective fues. II; un-
known, IA; lightning, s; smoking, 4;
oil stoves, 3; adjoining building, 5.
The fire loss for August for the
United States and Canada, according
to information received and announc-
ed by the state insurance department,
approximated s24,474,3O0, representing
an increase of over SO 900 900 over the
fire losses for the same month last
year, but a decrease of more than S3,.
100000 from July this year. Con-
trary to conditions in North Carolina,
it was said, much of the increased loss
was attributed to seasonal fires in
summer resort hotels scattered over
the United States and Canada. The
fire loss in the United States and Can
ada for the first eight months of this
year was announced as $274O16,25O,
representing an increase over the same
period of last year of about twenty.
one million dollars.