Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-01-12


New made hay may be sufficiently heat
ed III iermcnting to take fire, and inname
stacks or sti4IeS, Wood, sc. may be
set on fire by. the action of nitric acid
(aqua-iotis,) or sui phuric acid, oil ofvit-
rioI, or by several other strong ACIDS. -
A paste of iron filings, sui phul aud wa
ter ii iii sufficient quantity, will after some
time, burst into flame, and may be used
to produce artificial volcanoes by bury
ing it in the ground. Violent friction in
machines may set them on fire, and the
light friction Of wooden pcstlcs, strange
as it may seem, has caused some of those
explosions in powder-mills, So frequent
and SO fatal We have an amusing ac-
count of a stage coach being set OH fire
! by the friction of the axlc-tfces.
Great care should of course be taken
in handling and dcposting inhammable
substances, as gunpowder, &c. and light
cd candles or cigars should be kept at
distance. When tar, tallow, pitch, SC.
are ignited, good way to arrest the
fame is to cover it air-tight with leather
or woollens.
Many persons, children especially,
have been burnt to death by having their
clothes take fire. In case ofsuch an ac-
cidcnt they should be Immediately wrap
ped closely in a carpet, thick blanket or
hearth rug, for no clothing will burn with
out being exposed to the air. But to
prevent such accidents, children should
be clothed with woolcn or silk in prefer
encc to linen or cotton, as the latter are
the most inilammable, cotton especially.
On hearing three alarm guns from
Fort Wolcott, or the cry of 'ire' at mid
night from our vigilant watchmen, we
should all feel the Importance of having
our engines, engineers, buckets, fire
hooks, ladders, hose pipes and fire com
panics, ready for instantaneous service.
Five hundred dollars, expended for buck
cts, engines, repairs, &c. might save ten
thousand dollars worth of property.
With our apparatus ready, the next
object would be to have an unfailng
supply of water. Are our wells and cis-
terms in the back-strcet, sufficient and
ready for such an emergency
In proceeding to eXtinguish Il fire, ev
cry citizen must perceive the necessity
of entire order and cheerful obedience to
the proper officers, who then, more than
ever, should "keep cool" Where every
aid is required, every man should freely
offer his assistance. In general it is Of
less Importance to save the building on
fire, than to prevent the flames from
spreading. Many times, buildings con-
tiguous to those on fire have been saved
by covering exposed parts with wet blan-
kets or carpets, and keeping them wet
with the engines. AS it is often impor-
tant to have men on the roofs of houses
on fire or nearby, hi ght not boots be
made with sharp spikes projecting from
the soles to prevent their wearcr from
slipping?
We come now to the means ofrescueing
persons confined in upper rooms from the
Jaws of the dcvouring element. Where
the usual means of egress are denied, a
descent must be made from windows, by
the aid of ladders or ropes. In extreme
cases, persons have escaped by tcing to-
gether their bed clothes, and fastening
one end to the window sill or bcd-post. -
a very simple and safe substitute would
be rope having hook at the upper enc,
large enough to attach it to the window
sill; and along the rope, ,stlrups like those
Of saddle should be fastened, thus form
ing a convenient ladder Ii should be
kept with the other fire apparatus, one for
each engine, and might be speedily rais-
cd to the highest windows by means ola
light and slensr pole.-Anothcr ladder
has been proposed which would be USE
ful in saving goods as well as persons
1t is made of light wood, and mounted on
a pair of high wheels; the axle tree be-
ing four or five feet from the heavier end
Of it. This end is loaded with iron 50
that two or thee men standing on it may
l. ,l..o, H. Ia,,..S. II ,,,J ,,;So tho lad