American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-07-21
CoMMuNIcA1Lp.

'Ghe following communication is we'll worthy the
attention Of the citizens Of this Borough.
FIRE.
The destruction Of property by conhagration in
the United States for twenty years past has prob
ably amounted to an average OF 2 or 83O0,OoO an
nualsy, reducing many esmable individuals IN an
hou. two, from slate OF comfort to extreme
distress, and some 10 absolute penury. To prevent
or mitigate this mass OF suffering is highly desra-
Bile, and every thing calculated to produce this be-
ne6cen results is surely entitled to the most serious
| attention Of the public.
| A plan, simple and inexpensive, was proposed in
various newspapers throughout the United States,
| ABOUT twenty years ago, end Rom time to time re-
peatedy renewed, by which tits probable that three
iourhs of the destruction by fire that has since ia
ken place, might have been prevented. Yet, strange
TO tell, it has not been adopted any where.
This plan is, to procure as many coarse and thick
cloths, of suitable lengths would suffice to cover
the roof Of ten or dozen houses; and, as soon as
FIRE breaks out, spread them over the roofs OF the
circumjacent houses, keeping them constantly satura
ted with water by means OF engines. Two engines
would in such cases afford more efectual protection
against the spread Of fires, than six or eight play
ing on naked roofs. For, however numerous the
engines may be, and however great the quantity OF
wafer they discharge, the roofs, in five minutes at
they began. Whereas a single engine playing
moderately on roots covered with cloths, would at
ford protection house on each side OF the one
in flames, howeyer violently they might rage.
Although this plan would be highly beneficial eve
ry where, it is peculiarly important in places where
water is scarce as is the IN various towns and
cities of the United States.
The cost Of single engine, would probably pur-
chase cloths enough for any city, however large.
l.. f,L,. ri,r .t~A hx,t H..
effect, about twenty years since, OF the use OF com
mon blankets, in preserving large pile Of build
ings in Philadelphia, which were in imminent dan
ger Of destruction. Its utility was further confirm
ed BY similar resultin Newburyport, during tre-
mendous copHagration abou. II. ID, 10 years ago.
Three or four houses protected by blankets, at the
corner of street, escaped almost wholly uninlured,
while the houses each side, for considerable dis
tance, were involved in one ndiscrmnatc destruc.
lion. Numerous ms ances have since that time oc
CURED, in different places, Of equally extraordinary
preservations by the use OF blankets. And il need
not be urged, that cloths in sufficient quantity, snd
OF lengths to extend from caves to would be
,ncomparaby more efficient than blankets, Tor rea.
sons too obvious 10 require detail.
! The cloths ought to be dcpos ed 10 the houses ap
propristed 10 the ERE engines for the convenience of
transportation TO the scene OF conAagrson.
The solution Of pearl ash, in the water cast by
we engines, would speedily arrest the destructive
rareer OF the flames:
Dobson's Encyclopedias Vol. VII page 247, con
tains the following simple but eeacious directions
for distinguishing fires
Dissolve quantity of pearl ashes in copper
with water. and as it dissolves, which will
oe in few minutes, mix pail full with the water
IN The engine, pretty oItcn Whatever burning
wood is played on, wiu be e.rtinguished as if Dip
ped in rater- and wiH not burn afresh in the part
ertiaguished."
| PhRadelphia, July 1, 1926. M. C.