American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-26

1
| WASHINGTON, June 23, 1851. ,
| FIRE ANNIHILAToR.-The Baltimore American
says: The English invention under this name
is attracting much attention in this country,
where the losses by fire, and the costly systems
established for it's extinguishment, involve an
nually large sums of money. The wonderful
efficiency attributed to it, in the rapid and GER
tain extinguishment of the devastating element
by the simplest means and at a trifing cost, is
well calculated to gain for it universal favor,
and therefore it cannot be long before the An
nihiator will be practically tested in the United
in the st. Louis Republican, that Mr.. Thomas
Davenport has received from the Patent Office
in Washington an acknowledgment of the re-
cept of deed from the London Fire Annihila-
tor Company, assigning to him that portion of
the patent secured for their machine in the
United States, which controls the State of Mis-
souri,, and that he hopes in few weeks to be
able to demonstrate the wonderful efficacy of
the invention. We shall watch earnestly for the
st. Louis demonstration, and in the meantime
we give an interesting article on the subject,
furnished to the New York Courier by cores
pondent. The writer says:
1t is known as 'sPhillips' Fire 4nnihalator,"
and is now in successful operation and use in
England. So entirely has it answered the ex-
pectation of its inventors, that it has already
| been introduced into the residences of the no.
bility, from the Queen down-and also into the
Crystal Palace. Lord Brougham recently stated
in Parliament that he intended soon to submit
proposition that no vessel be allowed to go
to sea without supply of these Annihilators on
| board.
| ''Phillips Fire Annihilator" extinguishes fire
without use of water The machines are of va
rous sizes, depending upon the use to which
they are required to be applied. Those ordina-
rily used for the protection of dwellings and
stores are about the size of coal scuttle, and
weigh about twenty pounds each. They are
made of strong sheet iron, somewhat in the form
Of pail, with strong cover, and with various
compartments inside. Within these several
divisions are placed number of chemi-
cal preparations, which, when brought into
contact by simple mechanical contrivance,
produce an immense volume of gaseous vapor
or steam which rushes out from an aperture in
the cover and fills the room
The Annihilator instantly envelopes itself and
the person holding it in an atmosphere which
can be breathed, and at the same time keeps at
bay and extinguishes all fame in the apartment.
The London Times says Mr.. Phillips gave u
sort Of explanatory lecture, and stated that the
great advantages possessed by the gas employed
by him over water were as follows: The gas
was evolved at temperature Of about 100 de-
| grecs Fahrenheit and came in contact with
| hame having temperature of about 300 de-
grees, and under which temperature it could
not exist The gas absorbed part of this heat
nd lu II, IN ioin no1
ume, but expanded as much as hundred times
more each part still retaining highly absorbent
powers.
will glance Mt few Of the advantages of
this invention over water in extinguishing fire.
First. II is directly at hand, and can be ap
piled at once, without giving an alarm In
nine cases out of ten, fires when first discovered
are confined to one room; and, although the
room may be so filed with smoke and flame as
to be entirely inaccessible with the ordinary
apparatus Of water, yet with one of these fire
annihators in hand, the room can be entered
with safety and the flames at once extinguished.
With the present tardy arrangement an alarm
is given, and before water from the engines can
he brought to bear upon the fire, the whole
house may be in flames
Second The gas or vapor, when thrown into
a room, permcates every part and performs its
office, without being directed to any particular
point Water has no effect upon fame, that
element which spreads and communicates the
Ere. Fircmen know very well It Is useless to
play upon n flame.
Third. A child Of ten years can operate the
Anuihilator, for he has only to turn a plug,
give n rap with his hst, then throw 1t into the
room on fire, and the work is done. Water is
not always at hand, and il il were, the room
cannot probably be entered so as to throw it
upon the burning part.
Fourth The gas from the Annihilator is per-
fectly harmless TO goods, dresses or furniture,
that may be In the room. IL is well known that
water is about as injurious as fire.
II may well be asked, why Il is that an inven-
tion Of such practical Importance should be in
successful operation a whole year in England,
before IL Is introduced into this country The
only answer | can imagine is, that the English
patcutees and monopolists have hoped to adj
vance its value and price in this country, by its
increasing European reputation. II this be
true, they have exhibited very selfish and
illiberal spirit towards us
According 10 the Albany alias, Phillips Fire
Annihilator "seems to bethe same as that men
toned many years since by Southey, in Es-
prella's Letters, which was never got into use,
because Of the fremen, who, in London, are a
hired and exclusive class"