Fires and Firemen: from the Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science and Art, Vol XXXV No. 1, May 1855Anonymous
History
Fires and Firemen: from the Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science and Art, Vol XXXV No. 1, May 1855
Anonymous
Fire departments; Fire prevention
Lucifer-match makers 30.00
Lodging-houses 16.51
Hatmakers 7.74
Chandlers 3.88
Drapers 2.67
Tinmen, Braziers, and Smiths 2.42
Carpenters 2.27
Cabinet Makers 2.12
Oil and Color Men 1.56
Beershops 1.31
Booksellers 1.18
Coffee-shops and Coffee-houses 1.20
Cabinet Makers 1.12
Licensed Victuallers .86
Bakers .75
Wine Merchants .61
Grocers .34
It will be seen that this estimate in a great measure inverts the
order of "dangerous," as we have ranged them in the previous table,
making those which from their aggregate number seemed to be the most
hazardous trades appear the least so, and _vice versâ_. Thus
lucifer-match makers have a bad pre-eminence; indeed, they are
supposed to be subject to a conflagration every third year, while the
terrible victuallers, carpenters, mercers, and bakers, at the top of
the column, shrink to the bottom of the list. These conclusions
nevertheless are only an approximation to the truth, since it is
impossible to procure a correct return of the houses occupied by
different trades. Even if a certain class of tenements is
particularly liable to fire, it does not follow that it will be held
to be very hazardous to the insurers. Such considerations are
influenced by another question, Are the contents of houses forming the
group of that nature that, in case of their taking fire, they are
likely to be totally destroyed, seriously, or only slightly damaged?
For instance, lodging-houses are very liable to fire, but they are
very seldom burnt down or much injured. Out of 81 that suffered in
1853 not one was totally destroyed; only four were extensively
affected; the very large majority, 77, were slightly scathed from the
burning of window and bed curtains, &c. Among the trades which are
too hazardous to be insured at any price are--we quote from the Tariff
of the "County Fire-office,"--floor cloth manufacturers, gunpowder
dealers, hatters' "stock in the stove," lamp-black makers,
lucifer-match makers, varnish-makers, and wadding-manufacturers;
whilst the following are considered highly hazardous,--bone-crushers,
coffee-roasters, composition-ornament makers, curriers, dyers,
feather-stovers, flambeau-makers, heckling-houses, hemp and flax
dressers, ivory-black makers, japanners and japan-makers,
laboratory-chemists, patent japan-leather manufacturers, lint-mills,
rough-fat melters, musical-instrument makers, oil and color men,
leather-dressers, oiled silk and linen makers, oil of vitriol
manufacturers, pitch-makers, rag-dealers, resin-dealers, saw-mills,
seed-crushers, ship-biscuit bakers, soap-makers, spermaceti and wax
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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