Fireproofing

It would seem rather an interesting proposition for an American to come to Europe and speak on the subject of fireproofing, as the conditions in America are so notoriously bad, and give it, as is well known, the unenviable distinction of having the greatest fire losses in the world. These annual losses in America are enormous, each succeeding year showing no appreciable decrease. Where the per capita losses in Europe are reckoned in cents, those in America are reckoned in dollars, and represent ten times the average loss in Europe. It would seem, therefore, rather incongruous for an American to speak on the subject of fireproofing in a country that has especially low fire losses. However, the occurrence of such enormous losses in America has led to the study of the subject of fireproofing and fire prevention, and of necessity ways and means have been sought to prevent the enormous annual destruction of building materials by fire. Richard L Humphrey