UNITED STATES SALVAGE CORPS The earliest effort in America at putting salvage work on an organized basis was made in New York city in May, 1835, when the Association of Fire Insurance Companies laid the foundation of the New York Fire Patrol by appointing four men "to attend all fires and protect property exposed to fire and damage thereto by water." This force was enlarged in 1839 and again in In May, 1867, the New York Board of Fire Underwriters was chartered and this date marks the inception of the New York Fire Patrol as it was in 1928, with ten companies operating in Greater New York, having a total force of 328 men. Salvage corps, some times called fire patrols, are maintained by the underwriting in terests in 20 of the larger cities in the United States; the latest of these to be established was in Indianapolis in 1914. It is the policy of the insurance companies, as expressed through the National Board of Fire Underwriters, that no additional salvage corps will be organized by them, for the reason that fire depart ments are organized and maintained for the broad purpose of saving property and life at and after fires, and that the first duty of fire extinguishment and life saving is followed closely by the obligation to curtail the property loss caused by water, by resort to effective salvage methods. This principle that organized salvage work is a legitimate function of the municipal fire department has been recognized in a number of cities of which Los Angeles is the best example ; in that city six fully equipped salvage companies are in operation. The Dallas, Texas, and Pittsburgh, Pa., fire departments have organized companies which perform salvage work as a chief duty. Many other city fire departments carry one or more covers on most pieces of apparatus, which covers are spread whenever there is danger of water damage to stocks of merchandise or furnishings of dwellings. The salvage corps ap paratus carries a great variety of equipment, including water proof covers, brooms, shovels, scoops, sponges, etc.
The usual first move of the patrol on arrival at a fire in a mercantile building is to spread covers to protect goods located on floors beneath the fire, commencing where the water is likely to descend first, and then widening out as far as the number of covers available will permit. In manufacturing buildings the
procedure is about the same as in mercantile property; where the number of covers is not sufficient to protect both stock and machinery the former should be given the preference, since machinery can be dried, cleaned and oiled after a fire. In dwellings a somewhat different procedure is followed; the men roll up the carpet or rug, placing it on top of some piece of furniture, and then moving all the furniture to the centre of the room. Clothing is removed from closets and wardrobes and placed on top of the pile, over which one cover is usually sufficient for protection. The type of cover most commonly used is 52 ft. by 18 ft. in size, and most of the corps are using rubber coated duck covers, which weigh about 3o pounds. These rubber coated covers have the advantage of drying more quickly after service and are more certainly water-proof than other types. Some of the corps make their covers, using linseed oil as a water-proofing to the fabric. A few of the corps use covers made of a tightly woven duck without water-proofing, but with a treatment intended to prevent mildew; these covers will shed water but are not absolutely water-tight. In addition to spreading covers, the salvage corps, and many fire departments, proceed after the fire is extinguished to sweep and shovel out water and rubbish, cover holes in roofs with spare tarpaulins or tar paper, and perform other services tending to minimize damage to the building and the goods it contains. Progressive salvage corps officers may also accomplish a great deal in the way of educating merchants and the general public in methods of storing stock on skids to raise it slightly above the floor level, and in constructing shelving and wall cases in such a way as to allow space for covering and to prevent stock from being wet. The progressive officer will also find a large field for activity in promoting fire prevention activities and observing and reporting evidence of fires of incendiary or suspicious origin; it is usual practice to leave a man on watch to preserve such evi dence, as well as to act in any emergency to prevent further damage or theft of the contents of a building. (W. E. MA.)