FIRE AND WATER
In round numbers last February's fire loss, including $1,000,000 for Canada, amounted to $21,000,000. As the January loss was over $15,000,000, the grand total of over $36,000,000— to be strictly correct $36,043,400 was reached— an average of over $610,169 per day. There is something radically wrong somewhere in such a terrible showing. It includes, of course, the Waterbury and Paterson conflagrations (the last of which caused a loss which was probably nearer $7,000,000 than $5,000,000. thereby increasing the total by $2,000,000 more)— two costly lessons which suggest a complete reformation in the system of building pursued in so many of our cities. "Buffer” structures, slow-burning or fireproof, would undoubtedly have acted as checks to the progress of the flames, and helped the fire departments in each citv to keep the fire from spreading as rapidly as it did in each case.
In round numbers last February's fire loss, including $1,000,000 for Canada, amounted to $21,000,000. As the January loss was over $15,000,000, the grand total of over $36,000,000— to be strictly correct $36,043,400 was reached— an average of over $610,169 per day. There is something radically wrong somewhere in such a terrible showing. It includes, of course, the Waterbury and Paterson conflagrations (the last of which caused a loss which was probably nearer $7,000,000 than $5,000,000. thereby increasing the total by $2,000,000 more)— two costly lessons which suggest a complete reformation in the system of building pursued in so many of our cities. "Buffer” structures, slow-burning or fireproof, would undoubtedly have acted as checks to the progress of the flames, and helped the fire departments in each citv to keep the fire from spreading as rapidly as it did in each case.
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