UNITED STATES DURING THE GREAT WAR. 39 



reaching- the men. The Shipyard Plants Division further cooperated with the 

 safety section in the physical side of this work, lending aid by constructing such 

 mechanical protection as was required and bv incorporating into plant construction 

 the best ideas on this subject. 



Plant protection was instituted as a function of the Shipyard Plants Division 

 and was accomplished through guarding the yards with civil watchmen and mili- 

 tary forces, as well as with adequate fire protection. The plant protection work was 

 later made to include information service as to irregularities, and was on that ac- 

 count transferred to the office of the Director General. 



It will be recalled that, in the fall of 1917 and during the early part of 1918, 

 the country was very apprehensive as to the danger from fires in the shipbuilding 

 plants and in other vital war industries. This led the Emergency Fleet Corporation 

 to make strenuous efforts to keep down fire losses. To further this work, immedi- 

 ate steps were taken to establish fire protection systems and careful plant guarding. 

 The remarkably low losses from fire, while in part possibly due to good fortune, 

 may, nevertheless, be attributed to the efliective work done by the corporation in 

 guarding against fire. The following table from the fire protection report shows 

 the salient facts : — 



(o) Total number Fleet Corporation Yards covered, 186. 



(b) Total number of installation yards covered, 19. 



(c) Total value of shipbuilding property and ships protected (estimated), 

 $1,500,000,000. 



(d) Total fire losses (above $1,000 each), $305,150. 



(e) Percentage of loss 2/100 of i per cent or $1.00 lost for each $5,000 

 invested. 



(/) Total value of insured property in entire country, $100,000,000,000. 



(g) Total fire loss in entire country, $290,000,000. 



(h) Percentage of loss 3/10 of i per cent or $1.00 loss for each $333 invested. 



While the various estimated amounts may not be absolutely correct, it is never- 

 theless of interest to know that the closest obtainable estimates indicate that the loss 

 in property under Fleet Corporation supervision was only 1/15 of that occurring in 

 property of the United States generally. If the proportionate loss under the Fleet 

 Corporation supervision had been the same as existing in the country generally, the 

 loss would have been $4,800,000 instead of $320,000. 



Fire protection measures were applied through a section established by the Ship- 

 yard Plants Division of the Fleet Corporation. The section was mainly composed 

 of engineers supplied through the courtesy of the National Board of Fire Under- 

 writers. In addition to the Home Office force, field work was done in part by trav- 

 eling engineers from the Home Office, but principally by the local agencies of the 

 National Board of Fire Underwriters. All shipyard and installation plants and other 

 establishments doing work for the Fleet Corporation were given a thorough inspec- 

 tion by trained experts, who reported on the adequacy of their fire protection sys- 

 tems. These reports were sent to the Home Office and steps were taken to install 



