North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-06-28
Correspondence of the Boston Transcript
a NEW FIRE ANNIHILATOR.
New YoRK, Monday, June - looh'

YOUR readers such description Vi - - - onor.,ion
knowledge of its peculiar cons .IS n:
hHH" liz II is known as " Philps's Fire Ami
hiIator'' and is now in successiui oPeiouHo, o
in England. So entirely has IL answeleu 1ne i,ro
- ;.s Inventors that it has already been lntro-
49, into the residence of the nobility, from the
Queen down-and also into the crystal faace' Luz
Rrom1ham recently stated in Parliament that nc ii
tended soon to submit ProposItlon' that no Lo -
nJ ~ go To sea- without a supply OF these An
;h;Iators on board. l mention these iacis; TO SNOW
that am talking about thing OF Posslolli: "'lo
probabilities but of actual, permanently PIdoea CA
istence a., ,;.bas q "a. mi, mt
the use of water The machines are OF various Sizes
depending upon the use to when tney are REQUIRED
tion of dwellings and stores, are about the size OF
csaI scut,le, and weigh about twenty pounds each.
They are made of strong sheet iron, somewhat In the
form of a pail, with strong cover and WIN various
oomnartments inside Within these several divisions
are placed number of chemical preparations, which,
when brought into contact by simple mechanical
continuance, produce an immense volume oil gaseous
vapor or steam, which rushes out from an aPeraiule
in the cover and fills The ROOM This vapour coming
in contact with flames, instantly extinguIshes H. d.
though it can be breathed with perfect imPuniy.
room that is filled with fame and smoke SO as 70 He
inaccessible under ordinary circumstances can io"
ly be entered with one OF these machines III oP''"
ton. .,e .,d ,b
The .annihiator Instantly inveloPs rseH anu '.le
person holding it, in atmosphere whlch can oe
hraatbed and at the same time keeps at oay ana eA
tingushes all flame in the apartment nave no. eA
amined the chemical preparations or tne lesuIt: u
their combinations to state the precise chenlca
effect upon the fame in extingushing It. But that
such is the effect, one can doubt. who has PAID
any attention to the accounts given In The Englsn
journals. The London Times, In giving report Oh
some experiments Witnessed says: " Before this ex-
pertinent was shown Mr.. Phillips gave sort OF eN-
planatory lecture, illustrated on smaller SCALE lie
stated that the great advantages possessed o the gas
employed by him over water were as follows: l ne
gas was evolved at temperature of about 100 de-
grees Fahrenheit, and came IN contact win name
having temperature of about 300 degrees, and uhue
which temperature it could not exist Inc gas ABSORB
ed part of this heart and in proportion to It's
original volume, but expanded as much as hundred
times more, each part still retaining highly absorbent
powers.
ed on the part Immediately in contact with IT, and al
though it might be used at, say 80 degrees Fahren-
heit, much lower than the gas, yet 1t was found mat
very small part assumed the form of vaPor in COM
ing in contact with fame, and spread through
it; the greater quantity fell down by IFS superior
weight, and was wasted, MIR. Phillips then showed
an experiment to prove this He lighted coal gas In
the hold of model of ship, and poured jug after
jug of water it without any effect. hut immediate
ly the vapor was brought in contact with it The flame
eXtinguished.''
The cost of such machine as have mentioned,
when charged, is about dollars and can be re-
charged for dollar. One such machine is abon-
dainty sufficient for protection of any ordinary dwell
inghouse store. Larger machines to wheels,
and to which hose can be attached and used for large
fires, cost from two three hundred dollars each.
The following description of series of striking eX-
periments with the Annihator by Mr.. Philips, Will
be read with interest. 1t is taken from the London
Shipping Gazette:
'fWe attended another demonstration of the pow
and applicability of this wonderful invention at
Milbank on Tuesday last, the spot chosen (Messrs.
nence of members of the Legislature and other pub
lie men. Our business in attending these experiments
frequently is to find out of failure, should such
occur; but the of the eperation the more
49,,
also more valuable by the facility with which it is ap-
piled under every conceivable circumstance which
may attend confagration. The first exhibition was
in wood framed house, filled with plankng and
shavings saturated with turpentine and tar; when
herceiy lgnited, the flames pouring out at the win
dows and through the roof, the application of two
hand machines quenched the fire completely in three
minutes.
The second trial was on a tank twenty feet long
and nine feet wide, constructed of wood and filled
with gas-tar; this, the most inAammable material
known was fire to- and allowed to attain the great
est possible intensity, driving the spectators dis
lance; steam of vapor directed from machine
chased away the flame and this experiment, like the
first was completely successful. The third howev-
er was more important affair, and the partic-
uarly interesting us, it is to the shipping inter-
est, that we earnestly commend the invention. The
hold of vessel of about $50 tons, moore6 off the
wharf, was filled with sugar hogsheads, turpentine
barrels, resin barrels &C., all being filled with sha
wings, on which turpentne and rosn plentifully
sprinkled the whole set light to from below, and
the matches opened to give the fir faer play. When
sne combustion was complete, and the flames
ded high above the decks two men, each bearing
No. machine, by directing the nozzle of the appa-
ratus to the aperture succeeded in dispelling every
trace of burning in far less time than it takes TO
cord the fact and the yapor in this case descen
ded 10 do its extraordinary work of annihilatnp the
mighty antagonstic element, il was individually man
fes to every beholder, that it might with ease and
certainty be applied under every possible contingent
cy on shpboard, both life and property being rescued
from the awful danger, all but nstantaneousy the
appcation.'
similar description of the above experiments is
given in the London Times, Chronicle, Post, Adver
tser, Journal &C., all expressing entire satisfaction
with the results witnessed.
In conclusion, will glance at few cf the advan-
tages OF this invention water in extinguishing
fire:
First. 1t is directly at hand, and can be applied
at once, without giving any alarm. In nine cases out
OF ten, fires when first discovered confined to one
room, and, although the may be so filed with
smoke and flames to be entirely inaccessible with
the ordinary apparatus of yet with one of these
hre annihilaors in hand, the room can be entered
with safety, and the flames at once extnguished
The gas thrown out, envelopes the person holding
the machine, IN vapor, which is breathed readily
and at the same time drives the flames away and ex-
tlngulshes them. With the present tardy arrange
ment, an alarm is given, and before water from the
engines can be brought to bear upon the fire, the
whole house may be in flames.
Second. The gas vapor when thrown into room
permeates every part and performs its Office without
Oeing directed to any particular point. Water will
only extIngulsh fire by being thrown directly upon
the lgnlted mass from which the fame springs This
cannot always be accomplished. Water has no eff
iect upon tane that element which SPREADS and
communicates the fire. Firenen know very well il
Is useless TO play upon fame.
Third. A child of ton ra.re o,a o,..... Al A