FIRE PROTECTION. From the very earliest times, since men first began to live together in communities, organized fire protection has been a function of local government. So far as despatch and efficiency are concerned, the munic ipal fire department of ancient Rome was little behind the fire departments of modern cities at the present time. In various districts of the city brigades of fire fighters were barracked, whose mem bers were ever ready to respond to the call of the fire guardians, sentinels sta tioned in high towers, watching for the first signs of a blaze. At the sound of the bucina, as the horn which sounded the alarm was called, the Roman firemen hurried to the scene of the fire, equipped with ladders, axes, buckets, and even with a large water squirt on wheels, which was fed water with buckets. Di recting the operations of the brigades was the fire centurion, corresponding to our fire chief, who arrived in a special chariot drawn by four fleet horses.
Pumps, hose and, above all, municipal water systems, have brought about im proved equipment for fire fighters since then, but hardly any better organization.
In no country in the world has fire pro tection reached so high a degree of per fection as in the United States, for the simple reason that in no other country has there ever been so high a percent age of loss through fire. Whether be cause of the fact that frame houses are more common here, or that the Ameri can people are naturally more careless, statistics prove that the loss of property from fire in this country, amounting to about $15 per family each year, is ten times greater than in any other country.
Instead of exercising precaution through legislation or by fixing legal responsibility on house owners, American cities have, instead, organized remark ably efficient fire departments, whose contingents have invariably won the com petition prizes at the international ex positions.
Throughout the country towns volun teer fire departments are still the rule, but in every community approaching the dignity of a municipality paid fire fighters are maintained.
Within the past few years, however, notably since the big fire in San Fran cisco, in 1906, the emphasis has been placed on prevention, rather than on fighting fires already started. In prac tically all cities strict ordinances are passed regarding fireproof structures in the commercial districts. But not only must the buildings themselves be built of fireproof material, but wired glass for windows must be used, floors must be insulated, to prevent heat being trans mitted from the burning contents of one story to material above or below. The most effective device for the prevention of fire is the automatic fire sprinkler, whose use makes a difference of from fifty to seventy-five per cent. in the cost of insurance. The principle of the auto matic fire sprinkler is quite simple. Pipes, filled with a continuous supply of water, pass back and forth under the ceiling, perforated with holes which are plugged with wax, or a soft solder. With a rise in the temperature above a cer tain degree, these plugs melt and the water begins pouring forth. It has been estimated that the automatic sprinkler has reduced the loss by fire in commer cial districts by at least 70 per cent.