This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 11 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Waterloo Evening Courier
Location
Waterloo, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Oct 13, 1927
Page
27
Seventy percent of home fires start in basements and spread upward unless extinguished. Experts advocate fire resistant first floors, typically concrete slabs, with stairways enclosed by fire resistant partitions to limit damage to the home.
A freak fire in Rochester on January 24 destroyed a 50 year old cold storage building of heavy timber and brick. The blaze smouldered for 89 hours before men finally gained control. The interior walls were cork lined and wood sheathed. The fire started in the basement and climbed to upper floors via a refrigerator fan.
Economists note total fire losses exceed property damage. After fires, costs for temporary housing and reconstruction are not counted as losses. Sickness, medical care, and hospital fees rise with exposure, and workers lose wages and firms lose trade while operations pause.
Municipal and state improvements rely on tax revenue. When a building burned down cannot be taxed, its lost revenue shifts the burden to other taxpayers. About 21 million dollars is being paid by others this year due to last year’s fire waste.
A 1926 fire toll lists Allentown Old LaFayette hotel with 12 deaths Belleville seven murdered in a home Brooklyn seven Uves in Taft hotel Cairo fire kills 32 and leaves 4000 homeless Carlisle five in farm home Cassopolis five in residence Central Bridge mother and six children die Chicago four in apartment Drumcollagher fifty dead Ferriday six killed Hurleyville nine lives lost Ladysmith five in family Muskegon four in residence New York six in tenement Onaway three in factory Portage Entry six children die in farm house Rockford five dead Simpson mother and four children Tucson six children Twilight Park fourteen dead Twilight Inn fire extends limits Cleveland extends fire limits to prevent frame construction
I D Goss chairman of the National Fire Waste council Agricultural Committee notes farm fires destroy about 150 million dollars in value annually. He cites lightning chimney and flue problems and roof fires as main causes, urging fire resistant roofs and proper construction to cut losses.
Officials argue that their use results from short sighted economy since in the long run burnable coverings cost more than non burnable ones. The remark emphasizes higher future expenses and safety concerns tied to cheaper fire prone materials.
A survey by the Nations Fire Protection Association finds 59 percent of dwelling fire deaths are children, 26 percent women, and 1 percent men from 309 fires totaling 648 deaths. The study notes 40 percent could have been prevented by superior construction and 29 deaths occurred as people fought fires inside burning buildings. Sixty nine children were killed when left home alone, most under five.
The National Fire Protection Association reports five schools burn each day in rural areas. Many fires involve consolidated schoolhouses serving large student bodies while about 2,170,066 children attend 14,000 such buildings nationwide. Roughly 500,000 students ride buses to these campuses.
A study of building codes in 25 large cities finds only San Francisco and Boston require fireproof construction for all schools. Major cities like Chicago New York Los Angeles Philadelphia Detroit St Louis and Pittsburgh allow combustible school buildings while rural schools often escape ordinances.
Fire gutted the Gloucester hotel Vermouth England where George III signed the Treaty of Independence for the American colonies. The chamber hosting the historic document was destroyed as defective chimneys and m road hazards contributed to the disaster. An ounce of prevention is urged after the blaze.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.