Show FIRE IS AN EVER PRESENT MENACE ON THE FARM by tom L wheeler editor the indiana farmers guide A few evening agoa ago while out riding my attention was called to a red glow in the sky and I 1 knew that some gome farm house or barn was in the clutches of 0 the fire demon thinking I 1 might be of some assistance to those in trouble I 1 took the road leading in the direction of 0 the red glow not unlike the Isrea lites ot of old who were guided by the he pillar of tire fire and finally came upon one of 0 those distressing scenes all too common in the country A barn was in lames flames a group ot of neighbors were working with might and main to save the farm house nearby tor for it was too late to check the red tongues that were eagerly consuming the barn and its contents fortunately the wind was blowing away from the house and when the conflagration had died down and only a pile of 0 ashes and debris remained of what had been a valuable farm ture lure the house with blistered sides and warped shingles remained to hearten as best it might the saddened family every day and night ot of every year such scenes as the one described are enacted in the country dis districts oue one farm tire fire every fifteen minutes or i a hundred tires fires every twenty tour four house Is the number recorded the farm arm tire fire never burns out before the smoke ot at one ire fire has cleared away and the ashes cooled enough to appraise the loss the wild cry of fire fire is heard tn in another farm arm community tho the total loss from farm arm ires fires amounts to approximately million lion a year in property destroyed and lives sacrificed to tho the greed 0 of the red lend fiend who marches in the wake of 0 carelessness and neglect every time the sun goes down nearly halt hal million dollars worth 0 of farm arm property goes up in smoke one third of the national ira fire waste occurs on farms and good authorities tell us that four our out of avery live five farm tires fires are preventable lightning detective defective chimneys and heating apparatus matches and smoking combustible roots roofs spontaneous rom combustion bustion gasoline and kero geue and electricity atre ate the causes of 0 most farm tires fires during the winter when stoves furnaces and other heating equipment are in use when the tanner farmer and his family do most ot of their chores alter after dark by the light ot of a lantern when much hay grain straw and other oilier combustible materials are stored lu in the buildings the hazards of 0 tire ire are greatly increased and it la Is well to give consideration to the subject ol at tire ire prevention eulion not that the subject may be ignored at other seasons of ahe ibe year for it should not be the menace of tire fire la Is ever present on the farm arm as well as in the city whenever tire fire Is made tor for whatever purpose there Is always 1 the danger that it will get out I 1 continued to back page PT FIRE AS AN EVER PRESENT MENACE ON TIM THE FARM continued from first page ot of bounds and become an arch de destroyer it if the holc story ot of the farm I 1 ire re loss could be told lik in detail it ft would be one of sorrow and ana sadness 0 of out aut and death 0 of disappointment I 1 and discouragements discourage ments such as has rarely been heard it would tell of little children playing with matches and being burned to death in the conflagration they had started ot of ausy mothers using highly explosive liquids tor for cleaning garments and suffering horrible ie and untimely deaths in addition to destroying their homes of the careless discard ot or matches and smoking marrial mate rial with i heavy property loss as a res result n fact the story would run up and ana dooen the whole gamut of 0 human experience peri ence with biret A broken or improperly constructed chimney Is a constant I 1 source of langer from tire fire roots may be easily ignited ignite ld by sparks from i i chimney or by burning brands or embers L from exposure tires fires using kerosene to start the tire fi re in tile the kitchen stove is extremely dangerous Jang erous many serious conflagrations with loss ot of life and property have resulted from the explosions caused by this practice lanterns agelessly are lessly used about the barns may be upset or kicked over by livestock lamp hay or straw may ignite spontaneously buildings are apt to be struck by lightning then there are matches A match you know has a head but no brains you have 10 to lo think for it A cigarette a persistent in carrying out its purpose 0 of burning and making smoke put but it has no conscience con clence as to how when or where matches and cigarettes have much to answer tor for in the matter of destruction of life and property these are but a few ot of the hazards about the farm at least once a year and during fire prevention week is a good time for this every farmer should take a little time and make an inspection 0 of his premises and remove as many of the tire fire hazards as possible the old adage ot of an ounce ot of prevention being worth a pound ot of cure Is antiquated as tar far as farm fires are concerned tor for prevention Is better than cure it if you are a farmer make a survey ot of your premises and note the opportunities you are offering ott ering the tire fire demon to get in his awful work are your chimneys solid and well constructed are your heating stoves too close to the walls do the pipes enter the chimney through well protected ilu hue holes ire are your roots roofs fire resistant have you every examined the chimneys where they go through the attic to note their condition Is your cellar tilled filled with rubbish and an accumulation of burnable matoral mato ial lb eb you keep kerosene gasoline or naptha in the house do you use kerosene or gasoline to start the fire in the kitchen stove where do you keep the it cebator cu bator how about those old rags you used the other day to clean the car are they thrown carelessly into a closet or closed place where they might ignite by spontaneous combustion where do you place the hot ashes and cinders from rom the stove or furnace do you smoke are you careful about disposing ot of your cigar and cigarette stubs are matches kept where small children can get them do you store the car in the barn on a floor strewn with chaft chaff ind and tl fl amable litter do you use a lantern about the barn at night without locking itai king to keep it from rom overturning what would you do it if a tire fire started about your premises are you equipped to tight fight it successfully fire can quickly destroy the work and accumulation of a lifetime ot of effort and saving property that Is burned is lost forever it goes up in smoke and alt that Is left are ashes and vain regrets PT fr and james jame keller were in town for a brief session of court on wednesday Aleas rs lemuel willis and jewett wood of were business visitors to the county seat on tuesday of this week |