The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-06-27
Precaution Regarding Fires.

The following points arc well worth notice,
and should be carefully borne in mind and
acted upon, as they will be sure to diminish
the class of fires called "accidcntal."
Never leave lucifers, vesuvians, or any
other of the numerous descriptions of chepic-
al matches in such positions that they can
be readily got at by children, or fall on the
floor and be trodden on. Children should
be strictly prevented from playing with fire,
and severely punished if caught so offending
1t is far better that they should undergo tho
inconvenience of little wholesome chastise-
ment, than either set the house OIL fire, dis
figure themselves for life, or be burnt to
death, for the want of being severely punish
cd for disobedience.
Never leave candle burning at your bed
side on a table when yor 90 to bed, and
avoid reading in bed-this is most fruitful
cause of loss of life and property.
If light is required in bedroom, let it
be a rush, wax. o. floating light, placed in a
basin on the floor, at considerable distance
from curtains or drapery of any kind-on
the hearth is the best place.
IF a piece of paper is used to light can.
die with, see that is properly extinguished
before leaving it, as it vii. sometimes burst
out on fire after having been, as supposed,
tsampled out.
Never blow OUT gas lights, always turn
them off, If there be an escape Of gas, so
that the smell Of it is very apparent, directly
omen the door and windows to allow its es-
cape, and entrance Of fresh air; and above
all things avoid coming any way near with a
light Of any description. As SOON as you
can, shut the gas at the meter.
All chirlhtys should be thoroughly swept
at least once in three months; but once every
month is far better and safer. SCOT will ac-
cumulatc quickly, and much quicker with
some sorts of coal than with others. Many
a house has been burnt down by the chimney
catching on fire.
If a chimney catches fire, the rcadicst
means of extinguishing it will be found in
anplying wet table-cloth cover, or blanket
to the whole front of the CRATE, from the
mantle-piecc down to the floor, ard holding
or pinning it close into or against the Jambs;
then if the bottom be lifted up sufficiently
high to enable water enough to be thrown
on the fire. to create a good cloud OF steam
to ascend the chimney, the fire will be either
extinguishcd or very much reduced; and II
a pistol be fired up the chimney it will fetch
down the SCOT in very short time, and thus
prevent any very serious damage arising
from this by no means pleasant occurrence
F1GuT BETWEEN A DOG AND A RATTLE
sNAKE.-Sunday afternoon a woman resi-
ding in Brooklyn, went to field near that
suburb to pick blackberrics, accompanied by
large and valuable dog. While engaged
in getting berries her attention was attracted
by the dog, which was barking furious y not
far away, and going towards the spot she
discovered huge rattlesnakc, coilcd up on
the defensive and keeping the dog at bay.
As the woman approached, the snake, with
drawing its attention from the dog suddenly
upcoilcd and glided towards her, whercupon
She turned and fled; but the dog taking ad-
vantage of the opportunity thus paesented
sprung upon the reptile and seized it with
his tecth-the snake at the same time bury
ing its fangs in the dog. The woman did
not stop to watch the fight, but hurried
home with all possible speed, and not long
after her arrival there the dog dragged him
self to the gate, covered with blood and ter
ribly swollen, and almost Immediately died.
! Florida Union.