American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-11-04
Tho Fire Annihiiator an old Invention.

machlnes ike tnose now got up Tor extln-
gushing fires by the generation Of carbonic
gas, with water in the inside of them, were in
vented and tried as fur back aB 1921, and the
whole difference between the said machines and
Phillips's Fire Annihilator consists in the old
one having an outer case of wood, while Phil
lips's is made of iron this essentially, is the
whole difference. In 1921, one Zachary Greyl,
German, invented vessel named 'The Water
Bomb" for extinguishing fires. The invention
is thus described ga wooden vessel was pro-
vided, holding considerable quantity of water;
in the centre Of this there was a fixed case
made of plates of iron, and filled with gunpow-
der; from this vessel to the head of the larger
vessel, containing the water, there was tube
which might convey the fire very readily through
the water to the gunpowder in the inner vessel.
This tube was filled with substance easily
gnited, and quickly burned away"
The manner of using it was to take it to the
house on fire, ignite the substance in the tube,
and throw it into the building, (the same way
as is done with Phillips's Fire Annihlator,)
when the powder in the inner case soon took
fire. exploding the vessel and scattering the hot
water in all directions, putting out the fire at
once The inventor exhibited his machine in
Dresden and Paris, and was successful, in
number Of instances in putting out the fire.
In 1929 an English chemist, in London, the
out, reyamped Greyls Water Bomb, and made
and sold as many of them, for time as the
modern company in this city have done. One
size was for five gallons, and another for three
they are now sold by the charges. But this was
not the only style of them made by the English
chemist, whose name was Godfrey: he had
kind with the powder on the bottom, which car
ried the water up chimney on fire, while the
tube to ignite it was Mt the bottom projecting
downwards, and could be ignited with perfect
safety. The son of this Godfrey invented
number of balls to extiugush fires. on the prin
ciple Of his fathers application, and on one oc-
casion, by two balls thrown into house on fire,
it was extinguished.
Now the whole difference between the modern
one and the old one is not much; for if an out
side case of metal had been used by Greyl, he
would have had the modern one exactly, ex-
cepting in the use Of vitriol to ignite the chic
rate Of potash, as used by Phillips, and the
forcing of the water up by the gas passing
through perforated plate. The grand idea
Of Fire Annihator--the apparatus--belongs
to Greyl; Of this there is no doubt. And is
gunpowder not generator OF carbonic acid
gas! Certainly it is. And if gunpowder and
salammoniac were used as substitute for Phil
lips gas brick, more gas would be generated
for, assuredly. great deal of the substance
used in Phillips must pass off in carbonic
oxide not acid, and therefore produces no ef
feet in extinguishing flames.
How Mr.. Ewbank could let the modern patent
pass with such clause as this, "applying gases
resulting from combustion, by the pressure Of
their generation" to extinguish fires, is unac-
countable 10 rs. The patent was granted in
April, 1850, and the Commissioner was not
ignorant of the water Bomb" as it is de-
scribed on page $40 Of his " Hydraulics. The
old Fire Annihilator is public property, and by
cheaper than any modern one, using the old
wooden outside case ; but it never can be a use
ful substitute for the fire engine, although it
may answer very well for ships where no air
can get underneath the flame. 1t will not an
swer at all when the air has free circulation
below and above, and Phillips Fire Annihilator
will he far less effectual in such cases.
Scientific american.