The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-20
EveTy Man his o. 80 Enrine.


| Improvements in the art Of extiu-
gushing fires have progressed from very
small beginnings. The primitive hand
bucket was superseded by the hand
engine, the hsnd-engine in turn eavs
way to the steam fire engine The
availability Of this was lately augment
ed by the alarm telegraph. Ali these in
genlOus schemes seem 20 be on the eve
OF suppression, by q simple invention
recently brought to light in England.
| by a certain Mr.. Amsden, Of Liverpool
Mr.. a. has found that water charged
with ten times 1t weight Of carbonic
| acid Is complete annihilator of fire
/ The compound Is cheap and easily OBJ
tanned; the facility With which il can
| be used may appear when It Is stated
that small reservoir fitting upon A
mans back Ike knapsack constitutes
the entire apparatus Turning cock.
the jet is directed by means OF hexi-
bic tube and mouth piece upon the
hame, the machinery within acting
like a force pump and impeiling the
liquid forty feet high. IL is perfectly
innocent compound and improves by
age
Mr.. Amsden is now employed ia the
construction of these machines, and
constantly receiving orders for their
manufacture. It's called the Extinc-
teur, and, after the severest tests, has
been pronounced triumphant sue
cess.
The cost in England ranges from $40
and upward. according TO size. We
think our Fire Authorities would do
well to investigate this matter. and il
certainly cOmmends itself 10 every pri-
vate family. We believe that il can be
so constructed as 10 represent a parlor
ornament, and would be Of incalculsble
service elsewhere.
The London Morning Advertiser has
the following account Of one Of the
trials the Extincteur' has been sub
jected to.
a square framework Of rough tim
Der boards, equal in size to an ordinary
cottage open at the top, aud with q
doorway also open at one end, was
stored with slaves Of tar
barrels, slabs of old dry timber, loose
straw and hay, and over all tar, turpen-
tine, petroleum (which water does not
touch az all when in fisme,) were plen-
ttully poured. This mass of easy ig-
nitable and combustible material was
set fire b, and within one minute the
hames went high into the sir, and the
heat was so intense that the numerous
company Of gentlemen who had as
sembled to witness the experiment, !
hastily retreated 70 every available cor.
ner 70 prevent their faces from being |
bGstered by it. -Four Of the extincteurs |
were then set to work, and il seemed |
for about a minute and half as though |
the experiment would be a failure, and /
almost Immediately afterwards the |
iames suosided, and within tive min, /
1tes from the time the fire was kindled, |
t was completely extinguished by only /
.our of these engines, and had the
hearers been able 70 approach it nearer I
n q shorter time than they were able,
rom the extreme heat and intensity OF
he cOnhagration. there can be little
ioubt that 1t would have been subdued
n less time. But il is obvious thatin or
iinary cases it would not be necessary
N dwelling houses, chambers, ware
houses or docks to have recourse even
10 such means, and that at the first
alarm of tire one Of these portable en-
yines carried TO the spot would extin-
guish 1t almost instantaneously.