The New York herald., 1870-09-10

Carbopic Acid GINS ms an Extjnsuish Of
Fire-PrcpositIon 10 supply tho City Through
Pipcs-A Company TO be Formed.
The HERALD has always been foremost In chr0nl-
cling improvements, Inventions and the successful
efforts which have been made and are making for the
NORA and material progress Of the people Of the
United States. And IN no other country IN the
world has there been so many valuable inventions
discovered and SO many improvements made
In so short o space OF time as In this
country. For many years past the atten.
t0n Of scientific men and Ingenious me.
chanics. with whom fortunately the United States
are well supplied, has been attracted TO improve
ments in appliances for extingulshing nres. The
world IL Indebted to Latta, Cincinnati mechanic,
for the present steam fre engine. Everybody knows
what great Improvement upon the old dre engine
IL is But the new invention, by which car.
bonic acid gas Is elected into o burning building,
immediately extingushing the fire. promises to sur
pass Its ardent supporters are 10 be believed. all
the attempts which have hitherto been made In that
direction me successful exhibit,
which were published in ell the papers, the efforts
ut organizing company In this city have been un-
Al that lime when the subject was proposed to
me city authorities Of New York. 100000 and one
BY lhem The enterprise then icll through for want
But ey 9Y u sEooSyn TlR there has been CON-
thorlties the right to Law their pipes in the wards
fronting the river, from Gowanus creek to the Navy
Yard. The company propose to build reservoir Of
four inch pipes running In every direction through
the streets and having III front OF every door
valve TO which a smah rubber hose can De easily
attached, by which the stream OF gas can be
directed to any room on fire.
To make such reservoir, with Its necessary re-
torts Tor making gas and laying 200 miles OF pipe
through the city, win not cost more, 1t is said than
There can be no doubt that the damages by dre In
the United States are at least $50 100000 yearly. or
this loss large portion is due to the water which Is
hooded III and upon the burning property. Goods
which have escaped the destructive effects OF fire
are ruined by water, element proving almost as
injurious as the other.
it is indeed very strange. that carb0nic acid gas
which was discovered by Dr. Joseph Black chem
ist OF Ednbure, composed as 1t IS OF two parts Of
oxygen and one part Of carbon should extinguish
fire, when oxygen is necessary to produce combus-
tion. Repeated experiments have shown that fire
cannot burn IN an atmosphere containing One-nith
part Of its volume or this gas. In common temper
ature 1t Is onchalr heavier than the air. but when
heated IL expands and becomes much lighter. In
1851, coal mine III England, that had been on fire
for thirty years, and had extended over twenty-siX
acres was completely extinguished by cjecting only
eight millions Of cubic feet or carbOnic acid gas.
II is reported that IN this city company Is being
formed composed Of some OF our most wealthy and
influential citizens who will endeavOr TO get char
ter from the Legislature this winter, and Judging
from the names or those interested the enterprise
there Will De difficulty in obtaining it. They will
then at once proceed with the laying down OF the
pipes, building reservoir In some central location;
and 1t is confidently anticipated that III one year the
whole thing will have been completed and be ready
FOR operation.
If it shall prove successful 1t will indeed be won.
derfll revolution In the present system OF eXtin-
gushing Gres And there does not appear 10 be any
reason why 1t should not be successful for the pora
bic machine Is now ready for use on every floor IN
the most or our large hotels, and in New England
nearly all the large manufacturing establishments
and cotton mills have them.