Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-03
Misfeltateons.
ATTACKING FIRES IN TIME.

|
every town to give the cause of fires, why
they were not at once put out. how large
or small they were when first seen, how
much they had increased when water was
thrown upon them, and if extinguished at
once and without loss, the manner and
means made known, that other property
might be saved in like manner. If such
record was published, we should learn
that one cause of fires was the crowdino
together of wooden buildings, as at Port
land and ut Chicago, from which sparks
| flying from the first building on fire, would
! set many others on fire before the first en-
gine could be got to work, or even per-
haps before the telegraph told the firemen
there was fire. And if it should be
proved that for these little fires the small
hand-engineS were more efficient than
great steam tire-engines, and that such
fires. by their use, could have been put
out with loss of a few dollars instead OF
many millions, they would soon be adopt
ed. Then by the combined force of the
steamers and the small engines, conha-
gratlons would become almost obsolete.
Many an awful fire, the news of which
has been dashed out without loss by some
man or woman, boy or girl, if proper and
| efficient means for doing it were at hand.
| and it was the custom to publish such in
stances of self-possession at fires. as it was
of the heroic deeds OF the soldiers in our
late war.
Take, for instance, the following exam
pie: \ boy, employed in store near the
Old South Church, discovered fire in the
basement of the store. in y very danger
Gus place, which in a few minutes would
have driven the inmates from the store,
and resulted in the loss of thousands of
dollars worth Of property. Springing 10
the wash bowl, the only implement at
hand, he filled it with water and throwing
:, it upon the flames, he was in a moment
back with another. and others followed.
and so he dashed it out almost before the
other inmates knew there was u fire on
the premises. As one Of the salesmen
went TO find the cause of the smoke and
disturbance. the lad emerged from the
smoke, saying, as he rushed for more wa
ter, II have got it almost out - And soon
it was quite out, and the serious danger
over. Not word Of this praiseworthy
action was reported. Yet it would no
doubt have prevented many other fires If
published and commented upon in the
newspapers of the day. Nor do | believe
that the boy ever received "'thank you
/
whom he saved thousands of dollars.
The best managed fire | ever saw was
dashed out in few minutes by woman
who worked with entire selt-possession.
and taught man and her daughter to do
so also. y kettle of tar had boiled over
in wheelwright's shop, and set the stock
chips and shavngs. under a work bench.
on fire. The workman now seeing the
fire, took the kettle of tar from the fire.
place to the door, dropping the burn
ing tar all the way, and throwing it out to
the side of the shop, where there was q
large ho1e into the cellar down which the
burning tar ran upon the chips and shay
lngs which were scattered about there.
pretty Kettle of-tar, one would say A
dense black smoke enveloped the row of
OF buildings, and gave the alarm to the
trewoman. The wind was blowing a gale
to add to the danger. In a moment she
seized two pals, filed one, and telling her
daughter to fill the other and to pump in
to the trough, she sprang to the fire,
and dashed her pail Of water under
the bench where was the first fire. In
a few seconds came another pail which
went into the same place, and drowned
out that part of the fire. Now came help.
the first man to her assistance.
Dashng her next pail of water on the
flames along the floor, she pointed to the
fire in the cellar and told him to put it out
which following her example, he did from
the water in the trough, which was now
almost full, for the girl stuck to the pump,
as her mother did to the fire By this time
the mother had put out all the fire in the
shop, and the danger was over, as half Il
dozen men came rushing up too late TO be
of any service. II the fire had not been
attacked until they arrived whole neigh
borhood would have been DESTROYED in an
hour. just rs the fire was out, though the
smoke was so dense that nothing could be
seen in the shop the workman came out
OF 1t, AS black as Il tar-barrel, and with
lamp-black enough upon him to have fitted
ont dozen negro minstrels
doubt il the brave heroine oi ,his eX-
ploitS was ever thanked by more than one
of the half dozen owners of the buildings
in danger, or received reward from those
for whom she saved many thousands of
dollars. Nor did the account of the fire
90 into the papers. to teach and encourage
other women and men TO follow her eX-
ample in similar times of Danger. AhOuse
far from help from engines took fire on the
root, and before it was discovered large
potllon OF one side OF the ROOF was on
fire. \ young lady Of the house caught Il
mop and pail of water, and telling the
others TO bring more water. got on the
roof. and ,ashng out the flames with the
mop, soon did for the house what Mrs.
Partington could not do with the Atlantic
Ocean. She mopped ont the fire and saved
their pleasant home from destruction.
The excellent lesson ,hc taught the world
will first he told in this book. lfit had been
told in the papers Of the day, many fire
would have been mopped ont, many
another home saved.-ffom "Protection
against Fire" Jy Joseph Bird.