The Nevada journal., 1851-12-04
FIRE ANNIHILAT0R.

we md the following account o
the method of the discovery of the gas
used for annihilating fires, in the Lon
don Morning Journal:
"H appears that, many years since
Mr.. Philips was on board of an Eng
lish man-of- war, cruising in the Med.
iterranean, when one of those extraor-
dinary phenomena occurred, which
few have had an opportunity of wit
nessing-the formation of an island
from the depths of the ocean by vol.
canic agency. After the consolidation
of land above the water, where the sea
was eighty fathoms deep, to an extent
of six miles in diameter, the volcanic
action continued with extraordinary
impetus, Notwithstanding an enormous
chasm was opened on one side OF the
island, into which the waters flowed in
foaming torrents, and were as instant
ly elected, in combination with red hot
cinders and flames of fire, to perpen-
dicular height of probably three miles.
At this awful moment, the vessel
about two miles distant, was gradual
ly drifting, at slow but certain rate,
with the current, directly into this vast
fiery opening, and the CONSERVATION
and despair of all on board may be
better tancied than described. All
was given up for lost, when suddenly
the eruption ceased,a vast body of va
por escaped from the crater, and a
current of wind springing up from the
island. bore the apparently doomed
vessel away in safety. From this per-
ilous adventure, Mr.. Phillips was
struck with the idea which formed the
basis of his present invention. He
considered that water, per Sc, had evi-
IDENTIFY no extinguishing effect on the
flame, or even on the source whence it
arose; but as soon as a sufficient qnan-
tity of vapor had formed in the fiery
depths to cut off all connection with
the atmosphere, and thus prevent ac-
cess of oxygen to support combustion,
instantly the flames were checked, the
very foundation of the fire annlhllated,
and the island alone remained to show
the extraordinary outbreak to which
Nature had been subjected. Having
thus embodied the idea, the next diff
Guilty was the construction Of an appa-
ratus which should instantaneously be
available, and which should be certain
in operation; and this has been most
completely effected. The charge IN
the machine is a chemical compound
of highly combustible nature, but
only when fired by chemical means.
1t then gives out most intense heat,
sufficiently instant to vaporize the wa,
ter contained in the case, and which,
mixing with its own vapor, forms the
gaseous compound, in which no fire
can exist. Although thus strictly
chemical operation, it is so arranged
that the most unenlightcned, or even
a mere child, can perform the action
required with case and safety, it being
merely pressing down peg in the top
of the outer case. This peg breaks a
capsule containing sulphuric acid,
which, dropping into tube containing
chorate Of potash and lump sugar,
mixed in the form of powder, the
charge above noticed is instantly put
in a state of combustion, and the ef-
fects mentioned are the result. We
understand that the public generally
are becoming alive to the safety of
having one of the annihilators in their
houses, as offering such ample yet GER
tain means of stopping the ravages of
fire when in embryo; and no theatre,
bank, or other public establishment,
gentlemen's country mansions, where,
from their isolated position, fires are
generally so fatal, nor ships at sea,
should be without one or more of these
life and property saving machines"