Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-04-19
no USE FOR FIRE ENGINES.


organization as city to obtain fire engine. II 4
sweeping FIRE had q, any time occurred no adequate
means for its extinguishment have been in possess
ion of the city. Thanks to merciful Providence
this town has thus far escaped the ravages of the
destructive elements OF either fire, wind or water,
which have devastated so manv other places. II
the new invention which 10 spoken OF below can be
put In application and made Immediately available
among US, perhaps it will eventually be seen that
the money subscribed, If It had been collected and
applied to the purchase Of m engine, would have
been wasted or been better than dead capital on
our hands. Although we have no minute or detail
ed account of the manner Of constructing Gfire
annihilator' still all who understand the effects of
carbonic acid gas, may from the hints thrown out
see that portable machine furnished with this gas
could be in possession of every housekeeper so as
to effect the extinsuishment OF fire whenever il oc-
CURED. Some of our Ingenious mechanics, aided
by the chemists of our city, might do well to make
few experiments, to secure SO desirable an end
We su1on the description of the sire annihilator''
as far a. we have received it,
Correspondence of the Eoston Atlas.
discovery for Preventing Fires.
LONDON, March l, lS49.
AT recent meeting Of the Royal Insti-
tuition, held about week since, an i'm
port.nt paper wss read, which is making
some talk among the scientific men here,
aud is Of greut interest 10 the world a,
large. Its importance induces me 10 write
you an account Of it, in order that yo,, may
have the pleasure to be among the first
of the journals in America 10 call public
attention 10 an invention at once SO per-
tect!y simple in its operation, evolving a
familiar effect from well known cause,
and yet, in its application, OF such vast and
incalculable value. It il no less than
discovery, by means Of which carbonic
acid gas is applied to the extinguishment
OF fires with complete success, in its ope-
ration instantaneous, and with this i'm
mense advantage, with none Of the injury
to furniture, buildings, &c.. inseparable
from the use Of water for q similar pur-
pose.
The paper 10 which l refer was read at
the meeting last Friday, by Rev. l. Bar
low, and was an account Of an invention O:
Mr. Phillips, called "Phillip>' Fire An
nihila'or." The paper has since been
published in the annals Of the Society at
length. | will give you an abstract OF IFS
purport in a few words.
In large fires, flame is the great agent
Of destruction; it occasions a violent
draught, intense heat, and rapidly pener-
ates suffocating and noxious gases. For
ITS existence constant supply Of pure air
Is necessary, as well as a constant high
temperature. To prevent The latter, wa
ter Is sufficient, but not SO to prevent the
ether condition. The "fire annihilator"
snbdues fame by preventing eaIec,ually
the supply Of its vital element, pure air,
and supplying instead one destructive 10
its existence-carbonic gas and steam.
thus rendering the continuance OF fame
impossible. These are generated by this
apparatus, which is perfectly portable, forI
one ample for private house weighs on
ly about twenty five pounds. !. is SO con-
trived that by simply touching a spring
this active agency can be aroused in three
seconds Of time. For the protection Of
larger buildings. sach = churches, fac'o-
tories. &c., a larger spparatus in proper
ton will be required, in a convenien, 20
sition. The potency ofthis invention was
exhibited in several different ways in the
lecture room. Models Of houses, ships,
&C., were set on FIRE, and when fully ig-
nited the fame was extinguished as soon
as the annihila,or was brought to bear
upon it.
The great advantages Of this invention
are the instantaneous effect produced, long
before fire engine could have been got
in preparation or brought to bear upon the
fire, and the complete freedom from any
injury to furniture inseparable from the
employment Of water. This apparatus
may be always at hand ready for use, is
easily set in action, is always sure TO come
into action, occasions no injuryto the house
or furniture, and no injury need be appre-
hended from its use. This is all the ac-
count Of this important discovery yet made
public. There seems to be no reason to
doubt the full value claimed for the dis
covery, which cannot fail to prove one Of
the most beneficial applications Of scien-
tliic knowledge that this prolific age has
brought forth. III am able, during my
brief stay in England, to learn more, I
will write to you respecting it.
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