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9
Ex-Chief Croker Suggests a
Department Founded on
"Pure Food" Lines.
EDWARD
of a century as a fire fighter, was one
of the chief speakers at the recent in
ternational municipal congress and ex
position at Chicago. Mr. Croker's sub
ject was "The Reduction of Fire
Waste," and his address was devoted
principally to the question of fire pre
vention instead of fire fighting In
pait Mr. Croker said:
"I have fought the fire demon in
New York city for twenty-seven years,
twelve of which were spent as the
ranking officer of the uniformed force.
Throughout these years I was steadily
nnd irresistibly led to the conclusion
that, while fire fighting and fire ex
tinguishing organizations of our great
modern cities had reached a high state
of efficiency and were keeping well
abreast of the demands made upon
them, our citizens, as a rule, paid too
little attention to the vital matter of
fire prevention.
"The enormous fire waste of the
United States varies from $200,000,000
to $400,000,000 annually, and the vast
ly greater indirect losses that result
seriously affect our economic and civic
progress The loss of lives by fire is
one that cannot be realized save by
those unfoitunates whose relatives
and friends have been lost in many
deplorable calamities.
Great Loss Unnecessary.
"This uttei destruction of more than
a quarter of a billion of dollars in
property in addition to the lives incal
culable in money
,\alue
"las, ^fta^yi?'
F. CROKER, former
chief of the New York fire
department and who has a
record of more than a quarter
is not an act
of God nor one of the inevitable
chances of industry and commerce.
"All that is necessary is to apply the
test of comparison with other coun
tries of like civilization. In round
numbers the per capita fire loss in the
United States has been from-$2 to $4
against 33 cents in the principal Eu
ropean countries. One of the condi
tions in these countries that operates
to effect a lesser loss than here is the
laiger use of noncombustible mate
rials due to the high cost of wood.
Another reason is the intangible influ
ence of their older civilization, hich
makes these people more careful of
small savings in all their affairs and
generally more cautious than we have
yet become
"But, allowing for these fundamental
differences between the countries com
pared, it is jet apparent that the fire
loss the United States, which is be
tv^een se\en and eight times that of
the greatest European country, is out
rageously and criminally greater than
it should be It has been my observa
tion that the large majority of fires
arise from preventable causes. In fact,
every fire of consequence is prevent
able
"The subject of fire prevention is
vastly more important than that of fire
fighting When one conflagration has
been checked or prevented you have
accomplished little The chances for
repetition tomorrow are equally as
great
& What Is Fireproof.
"If we are" to better conditions you
must realize that 'fireproof is not 'fire
proof as it is understood today The
literal definition lemams, but many
/rimes have been committed in its
name I know of no more abused word
I am sine ere in the conviction that the
go-\ernment should make it a heavily
punishable offense to apply the term to
anything but an absolutely fireproof
building. ^ifr**
'^heie is but one principle to fire
proof construction, be it either homes,
hotels, offii buildings, theaters, apart
ments, battleships, railway cars or
what. To have fireproof buildings
archhitects and owners must throw
aside precedent and eliminate the use
of combustible and semicombustible
materials in their construction
"If I had my way about it I would
not permit a piece of wood, even the
size of a lead pencil, to be used in the
construction or finish of any building
in the United States exceeding a
ground area of 25 by 50 feet or three
stories in height. If there was still an
absolute necessity for its use, if it
could not be replaced with steel, as .it
has been in many modern construc
tions, it would then be well to attempt
to conceive of something better. I am
opposed to the use of wood in any form
in fireproof buildings, and the law
ought not to permit its use. Wooden
floors, wooden window frames, doors
and casings burn and help other things
to burn wooden trim and bases burn
everything that is made of wood burns
and helps the fire to spread. Eliminate
fwoodremove the cause, and you have
precluded the possibility of fires.
"We have no department of our gov
ernment devoted to the matter of fire
prevention. Our laws on the subject
are rot specialized tocompletely cover
any particular building or business, al
though they could be, made, broad
enough in their- generalfapplication to
go a great way toward*partly solvit
the problem.
Federal Action Suggested.
"It is my firm conviction that the
United States go%ernment should
i vw
GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACT
TO PREVENT LOSSES BY EIRE!
.Vc\
He Would Not Permit a
Piece of Wood In Buildings
Three Stories High.
establish a department, founded some
what on the lines of the pure food law,
for the puropse of establishing lab
oratories whose business it should be
to test and classify various materials
used throughout the construction of
fireproof buildings in order that the
public may be provided with a satis
factory and sane schedule of standards
of known safety and which shall be ac
cepted as such by all departments and
authorities in this country, and the
law or laws necessary to make these
conditions possible should be enacted
with the idea constantly in mind that
the present so called fireproof build
ing is such only so far as its exterior
is concerned and that legislation is
needed and demanded by the public to
insure adequate and proper protection
lo the lives of all persons who may be
.'ailed upon to congregate in all build
ings of a public or semipublic nature.
"Under the majority of the present
building codes so called fireproof build
ings are substantially fireproof in the
sense that a conflagration rarely does
serious injury to the building itself.
The flames may rage from room to
room and floor to floor floors, doors,
partitions and all interior fittings may
char and be consumed the contents
may be destroyed throughout and some
or many of the occupants lose their
lives, but the four walls and frame
work, that is, the organic structure of
the building, usually comes through
the conflagration intact. It is the com
bustion of contents, not damage to the
buildings themselves, that makes fire
losses in the United States so heavy
proportion to the amount spent for
new construction. The need, therefore,
is not for ordinance requirements
wrhich
will make the buildings more
effectually 'fireproof,' but enactments
which will protect the inmates and
contents of buildings by making it
impossible for a fire once started to
course virtually unchecked from room
to room and floor to floor of a building
whose walls are fireproof. In other
words, death proof and conflagration
proof construction are necessary re
quirements for new compulsory legis
lation for 'fireproof construction.'
Future Construction.
"Future construction must be so re
quired that the starting of flames in
one room of a building need not make
imperative the instantaneous exit
therefrom of all persons employed in
the building, or even on the floor where
the fire starts. Means of safety for
both persons and property must be se
cured in the building, and even on the
floor where the fire starts, by making
impossible the instantaneous convert
ing 6f elevator shafts and stairways
into flues for the flames and by making
impossible the rapid spread of flames
from room to room and floor to floor.
Nothing could be more dangerous,
more expensive or more unnecessary
than the idea that the safety of work
ers in factory and loft buildings can
best be secured, or can be secured at
all, by providing means of rapid exit to
the street. The cost of the kind of fire
escapes and the additional stairways
properly required, as well as the con
siderable space occupied by such de
vices, would make them almost pro
hibitive in expense, even if practicable
or effectual, which they could not be.
"Even if, however, all the occupants,
could be got out safely and in time, no
reason appears why the contents
should be left to the mercy of flames
coursing from room to room and floor
to floor until checked by the activities
of the firemen. Both persons and UJ. mcuicu.
A4
pc..01,110
ITALY'S LAST
PREV
It Was In Abyssinia, and She
Suffered Heavy Losses.
FIGHTING LASTED FOR YEARS.
Her Army Was Overwhelmed, and
Thousands of Dead Were Left on the
FieldDefeat Caused Downfall of
the Italian Ministry.
Italy has transported her soldiery to
the northern coast of Africa before in
ages past, for all Mauretania, the land
of the Moors, was once a Roman piov
tace. Tripoli was originally a Roman
colony, although there were inhabit
ants before that epoch of occupation
who were akin to the Berbers It was
Greek at one time, and its name, which
means "three cities," reveals its Hel
lenic origin. In its early days it relied
for protection on Carthage, later de
stroyed by Rome, which was in the
neighboring Tunis. The Italians in
their desire to maintain the balance of
power in the Mediterranean have al
ways held that they should have a
sphere of influence in the realms which
lie across the sea from their own lands.
Fortune did not smile upon the last
war in which Italy participated. When
England was engaged in 1884 in paci
fying the Sudan, Italy was invited to
take part and to lay claim to an influ
ence in Abyssinia. A large Italian ex
pedition was sent there a year later,
and the red, white and green flag was
carried bravely into remote parts of
the kingdom beyond the desert. Two
years later the Italian forces were
overwhelmed by the army of the ne
gus of Abyssinia, and 500 men were
left dead upon the field.
The defeat caused the downfall of
the Italian ministry, and the whole na
tion was aroused. W thin a short time
a credit of the equivalent of $5,000,000
had been voted and Italy was pledged
to extensive military operations. Re
enforcements were hurried to Abys
sinia, and no expense was spared to
retrieve the losses.
With Menelik was concluded a
treaty between Abyssinia and Italy
which contained a clause which later
was to be the subject of much discus
sion. It was concluded in 1889 at
Accialli and contained the clause, "His
majesty the king of kings- of Ethio
pia consents to make use of the gov
iment of his majesty the long of
Jy for the treatment of all ques
iOns concerning other powers or gov
ernments."
On the strength of this Italy an
nounced that she had a protectorate
over Abyssinia. She established a
colony in certain territory given to
her under tnis treaty by Menelik and
gave it the name of Eritrea. Coins
bearing" the image of the Italian ruler
were prepared for this new colony.
Menelik, however, became suspicious
and soon regretted the signing of the
treaty. He had addressed communi
cations to both Germany and England
that he was emperor of Ethiopia, and*
in reply had been told that his notifi
cation should have been sent through
the Italian government. It occurred!
to the monarch that the translation of
his treaty had been faulty and that
he did not intend to sajr consent, but
merely meant to imply that he might
use the Italian government in his
foreign relations. He had these mis
givings first in 1893, and the question
of interpretation puzzled him and1
iu~ fieri found opposed to him a force of
property should be afforded protection 1100,000 under Menelik, most of whom
in the building by making its construe- were armed with rifles. The force- had
tion really fireproofthat is, death
proof and conflagration proofthereby
confining the flames to a limited area
within which to burn themselves out,
consuming only such contents as are
not removed to safety behind doors
and partitions as effectually fire resist
ing as the walls themselves.
One Great Lesson.
"One great lesson which many re
cent fires have taught is that no build
ing is more fireproof than are its doors
and windows, while the presence of
wood in trim or casing anywhere less
ens to that extent the fire resisting
and fire confining power of the struc
ture No matter if the walls are fully
fireproof, doors of wooden construc
tion permit the flames to sweep from
room to room and floor to floor instead
of being confined to one room, as is
possible in fireproof buildings in real
ity, not fireproof only in name.
"How often it is true that hotels,
theaters, apartment buildings and the
like are advertised as 'fireproof
throughout' only to have some fire dis
close that the buildings were veritable
'fire traps,' the fireproof construction
of the walls, floors and even staiiways
making only more perfect flues for the
rapid combustion of tinder-like doors,
partitions, window casings, trim and
room contents. Those who go into
public hotels and halls at night should
have protection and assurance that
representations of fireproof construc
tion are in reality well founded.
"Every building should have straight,
broad stairways of fireproof construc
tion, and every door and partition, no
matter how email or how, temporary,
shcu be fireproof."
THE PRIKCETOK TTNIOK THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1911.
the
Italians greatly. General Baratieri
arrived in the territories in 1895", about
the time that General Toselli's force
of 2,000 men had been practically cut
to pieces by a force of Abyssinians
twenty times its size. General Bara-
plenty of artillery. The Italians had
25,000 men who were operating in
wild and mountainous country and at
least 200 miles from a base of sup
plies.
At this point the Italian commander
was in a quandary, and in order to
gain time he maneuvered from place
to place. His plan was not approved
by the government, and it was decid
ed to send General Badisseria to sup
plant him. The knowledge that an
other was to take his place and a sharp
message from the premier, Signor
Crispi, stirred General Baratirei to
decisive action. His force was di
vided for attack inxo* four parts.
Three columns were sent against Ado
wa and a fourth was- held in reserve.
The three columns were quickly re
pulsed with great loss, and the re
serve column in the- confusion which
followed was not of any use. The
generals of the columns were captured
or slain. The Italians left 6,000 dead
upon the field and 4,000 were taken
prisoners. The loss produced conster
nation and rage throughout Italy. The
Crispi ministry went down to defeat.
Peace was afterward made with
Menelik on the basis of eliding article
No. 17, pertaining to the protectorate.
The enemy lost 5,000 men and the
Italians gave such a good account of
themselves in fierce battle that the
king of kings was glad to make peace.
The colony of Eritrea was not en
larged.
Cocoanut Tree For Shade.
The cocoanut is not only valuable as
a source of food and drink in tropical
countries, but it is also the best of all
trees for shade.
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NORTHWESTERN HOSPITAL
AND SANITARIUM.
(ESTABLISHED 1900)
A private institution which combines all the
advantages of a perfectly equipped hospital
with the quiet and comfort of a refined and
elegant home Modern in every respect No
insane, contagious or other objectionable cases
received Rates are as low as the most effi
cient treatment and the best trained nursing
will permit
H. C. COONEY, M. D.,
fledical Director,
FLORENCE JOHNSTON. Superintendent
Refreshes, stimulates,
strengthens and insures
a good night's rest.
Include a case in your outfit
Leads them Air
Theo. Hamm Brewing Co.
ST. FAUL, mm.
SJOBLOM& OLSON
Local Dealers
Princeton Minnesota
Good Roads and HwaltH
How many persons die in the United
States every year because doctors
cannot reach them speedily on ac
count of bad roads? The number is
probably much large? than the
average city personnot familiar
with the hardships endured in many
sections of the countrythink.
Spring thaws strike terror to the
hearts of millions of farmers in
America. They mean feat the bottom
is going out of the dirt* roads which
have not been cared for.
The grief and misery visited upon
afflicted families in rural districts by
bad roads can sever be told.
Funerals o?er roadswhich make the
passage of? hearses impossible and en
danger th& lives of sorrowing rela
tivesare one of the saddest spec
tacles imaginable.
All these phases- of bad roads are
to be touched by filnas which the
United States government is prepar
ing. These pictures should do much
to hasten the good roads movement in
Americawith pictures of rural sec
tions which have model roads that
afford rapid transportation for mails
and offer automobiles an easy course.
j?fce world is just beginning to,
realize the awful economic handicap
ii has labored under for centuries a
janpassabl highways. A new era is
dawning. Ten years from now any
community which tolerates bad roads
will be 3n disgrace.Fargo Foruao.
Bids Wanted.
Sealed bids, will be received by the
board of supervisors of the town of
Spencer Brook, Isanti county, up to
2 o'clock p. m. of Friday, October 20,
2911, for clearing and ditching the
right of way for a road on section 14
of said town.
Specifications can be had by calling
at the office of the town clerk.
The board reserves the right to re
ject any or all bids.
By order of the board of super
visors of the town of Spencer Brook.
O. W. Blomquist,
41-3tc Town Clerk.
P. O. Address, Princeton, Minn,
Route 3
mm
First National Bank
of Princeton, Minnesota.
Paid up Capital, $30,000
A General Banking Busi
ness Transacted.
Loans Made on
Security.
Approved
M. M. Stroeter will conduct farm auctions either
or by the day.
'^^%%W%%%%%^%^%%%%%W%^W%%%%%V%%
Interest Paid on Time De
posits.
Foreign and Domestic Ex
change.
S. S. PETTERSON, President.
T. H. CALEY, Vice Pres.
J. F. PETTERSON, Cashier.
Princeton State Bank
Capital $20,000
Dot! G*nrl
Farm Mortgages,
Insurance, Collections.
Interest Paid on Time Deposits.
av^www%%wvww%%%^vw^wwwi %%l
4.44fr44w3^4Miw^4M*4^4**{*4^'
4^4*4M^
Security State Bank
Princeton, Minnesota
Capital $32,000 Surplus $4,000
JOB2T W. GOULDING, President G. A. EATON, Cashier
M"^{M**4^4"i"S.3MH'**^**^^ 444M$4'4'ifr.{'frfr4''M'it'4''fr'M
Farm Lands Farm Loans
ricMillan & Stanley
Successors to
n. S. RUTHERFORD & CO.
Princeton, Minnesota
We Handle the Great Northern Railway Co. Lands
Farm Loans Farm Lands
nfrifr ififr *fr*$**$**$**$* 'I* *$*'fr '$* '1* '1* |**$**}* *$*' j* '$S**S"fr*$*'S* *$**'!'*h*?*y*
E If You Are in Need of a Board orai
E Load of Lumber see the 3
We can sell you at a lower price
than any other yard. All that
we ask is that you will call and
give us an opportunity to con
vince you. V* VP
PRINCETON LUMBER CO.
The Princeton Boot and Shoe Man
on commission
Banking Business
J. J. SKAHEN,
Cashier.
GEO. A. COATES, rianager 3
Florsheim Shoes
E are sole agents for the Florsheim
Shoe in this town. Any man who
puts his money into a $4.50 or $5.00 Flors-
heim Shoe need not wonder if he will get it
out again. This shoe never disappointed a
wearer. "We have also the
Buster Brown Shoe
for children, and many other good brands.
Come in and see for yourselves.
Yours truly,
Solomon Long
it
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