Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-07-18
Something for Fircmen.

The use Of the submarine armor has been
successful, and at the present day a man
can go to the bottom Of the deep, remain
there as long as he can endure the effects
of the cold, breathe freely, walk about,
pick up heavy weights, or perform other
needed labor. and then return to the sur
face without having sustained any particu-
lar Inconvenience. But it remained for
those of the present age of improvement
to produce an armor which braves the
sitting smoke and flames of a contiagra-
ton, and enables its wearer to enter an
apartment where the atmosphere, to the
unprotected, would almost instantly in
duce suffocation. This has been accom-
plished, strange as the statement may
seem.
An exhibition took place Yesterday
afternoon, at the Westminster Exchange,
at the corner of Bowery and Broome
street, which was witnessed by a number
Of experienced fremen and other gentle
men, and which would, in another age Of
the world, have been called q miracle or
the work of an enchantment. The appa-
ratus used-most readily described as an
air-tight India rubber bag, filed with air,
furnished with sleeves and straps by which
to fasten it to a mans shoulders, and con-
nected with which by an elastic tube was
q helmet, or mask with glasses, through
which the wearer could see-was upon
the table when the spectators gathered in
the room. Among the gentlemen present
were Fire Commissioners e. c. Pinckney,
II. B. Willmarth. Vice President of the
Arctic Fire and Inland Insurance Com
pany, a representation Of the City lnsur-
ance Company, and a number Of other
parties from other Insurance companies;
Chief Engineer, Uriah p. Harris, Of the
Chicago Fire Department, and several
prominent New York and Boston fremen.
The continuance to be tested is said to
have been the invention of a country
clergyman Of Massachusetts,, and has al
ready been patented, but only recently
brought into public notice.
At a little before three p. NJ. q young
man, Thomas P. Bragley, Of Engine Co.
No. 4, Boston, was harnessed in the
armor, the helmet secured to his face, and
without further preparation he boldly en-
tered the vault previously prepared for
him. 4 FIRE had been kindled in the
small, air-tight apartment, by the use OF
a liberal quantity of sulphur and other
combustible materials, and a number Of
gentlemen went in before Mr.. Bragley and
tested its genuineness. They did not re-
main long, but came out, saying 1t too
strongly resembled the descriptions they
had read of purgatorial heat to please
them. When Mr.. Bragley entered the
door of the vault was firmly closed.
After remaining in the fiery furnace for
about ten minutes the young man came
out. His pulse remained natural-there
was q slight tendency OF blood to the
brain, and the surface Of the skin was
above normal heat. But these things can
not be wondered at; for the fire kindled
in the room ragged until there were fears
entertained that it could not be put out.
Indeed, q gentleman intimately connected
with the FIRE commission was seen to enter
the apartment with a gallon measure OF
water, which he used in extinguishing the
incipient conlagration, while those per-
haps better accustomed to smoke and heat
went forward to the bar and INDUCED in
something into which water did not large
" enter. The flames were put out, how
ever, and general equanimity prevailed.
So far as known, the trial was a sue
cess. There is no disputing the fact that
Mr.. Bragley, the wearer of the smoke
protector, yesterday afternoon entered a
room so filled with heated air and sui
phurous vapors that no unprotected per-
SON could have endured to remain in for
one minute, and that he tarried there
fully ten minutes without suffering any
personal inconvenience worthy of men,
tion.-N. Y. Herald, June l6.