Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-08-23
MILLIONS TO BE SAVED.

Rich silks and SatIns and other Goods
no Longer to be Ruined by Water-
The Fire Fiend Shorn of his TerroIs-
rThe Fxnenses of the Fire Department
to be Lessened.
From the New York Sun.
The Metropolitan Fire distinguishing
COMPANY. chartered by the last Legis-
latt1re, have completed their organiza
ton. and are in working order. The
officers are: Shepherd Knapp, Esq,
President; J. Fl. Cotton, Treasurer;
and Charles NJ. Martin, Secretary. The
Company will extinguish fires with car
bonic acid gas, and while instantaneous
ly putting out fires, they Will save the
damages ESTIMATED at three-fourths OF
the whole amount) which always arises
from the flooding of buildings or wet
ting of goods with water.
The company propose to lay pipes
similar to gas pipes all over the city,
beneath the curb stones, to convey the
carbonie acid gas, and to furnish it to
every building, just as Illuminating
gas is now furnished. They claim that
a fire breaking out III any building
where this gas is, can be almost in
stantlv put out by simply turning a
faucet, and allowing the gas to escape
in the burning building, and this with
out doing the slightest damage to the
finest fabrics or furniture. It can be
so arranged that the gas may be turned
on from without the building, so that a
policeman discovering a fire at night
might put it out in less time than it
would take to give the alarm.
The company will soon erect extern
sive works for the manufacture of this
gas, which is to be kept in immense
tanks or reservoirs similar to those
used by the gas companies, and from
these works the pipes for conveying
the carbonic acid gas are to be laid to
all parts Of the city.
Carbonic acid gas will extinguish
fires arising from the gasoline, kero-
sene spirits, or any other infiammable
substance. George W. Gesner, chem
ist, of 104 John street, has recently
been making some experiments with
the carbonic acid gas in extinguishing
fires from inflammable substances, and
those experiments have been witnessed
by some of the Fire Commissioners,
the Board of Underwriters, and the
officers of many Of the leading fire in
surance companies. They were very
successful
Mr.. Hitchman, President of the Fire
Department, is satisfied that in ma
jority of the accidental fires in this
city carbonic acid gas would be of in
calcuiable value, especially where there
is combustion of oils or other infam-
mable materials not comfortable by wa
ter, or where there Is merchandise sub
ject to ruin or damage by water Pres
ident Hitchman adds thatit was proved
to him that the gas could be forced
through hose and delivered with almost
instantaneous effect through nozzles in
troduced into the room or building on
fire, and that fire in the most infiam-
mable oils, totally unaffected by other
means, was etfectuaily and speedily ex-
tinguished by carbonic acid gas. Mr.
Hitchman thinks that the use Of any
thing which will check combustion with
such absolute certainty should be made
compulsory wherever petroleum, oils,
spirits, and the like are stored or man
ufactured. Then, says Mr. Hickman,
those centres OF destruction toprOper-
ty and life by fire would cease to be
just causes of terrible apprehension.
Fire Commissioners Smaller and Hen
messy, who also Witnessed the expert
ments, fully concur with Mr.. Hitch
mans views. The fire companies and
Board of Underwriters are making a
lively interest in the discovery. If
half that is said Of carbonic acid gas as
fire extinguisher is true, we may look
for Punishment of the costly steam
fire engine, with all its costly adjuncts.
The Company viii some time this
fall publicly exhibit the action Of car
bonic acid gas in a burning three story
building filed with infammable burn
ing materials, such as kerosene, oils,
and the like. On firing the building
they will turn on the gas through the
pipes running from the reservoir a mile
or more distant. At the same moment
they will sound fire alarm, and the
Company say they will have the fire
all out before a steamer can reach the
ground.
The Office Of the Company is at 48
Broad street. Among the directors are
j. FL. Cotton, Esq, the Hon. Alex.
Frear, D. Randolph Martin, Ell. G.
Crane, Geo. B. Satterlee, Charles L.
Frost, Lawrence r. Jerome, and other
well-known bushes men. The Mayor,
Police Commissioner Smith, the Fire
Commissioners, the Comptroller, and
many influential men, who have wit
messed the experiments, have written to
President Knapp that they are firm be-
levers in the practicability of extin-
gushing fires with carbonic acid gas in
the manner nrODOSpd