New-York tribune., 1873-02-01
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
HoNoRs TO TIE FIREMEN.

Medical College was filed last evening hy an audience
rathered 10 listen 70 a lecture by Prof X ogden Dore
mus upon "Connagrauons, Their Causes and means o.
Prevention and TO witness the presentation OF the
net, medals the fremen who bad been iouno Tt5y
70 receive them.
rnose medals are furnished from fund enc Awes by
1ames Gordon Bennett, and arc to be aw srdet each
xaar "a the two members OF the Fire Der ztmcnt who
shaIl have most distinguished tbemselve in saving life
al res in each year. The presentat as for Isl having
been omitted four medals were pres ensd this occa
bon.
Az soon as the audience had tseen their seats body
Of remen obOut in number took seats in the front
now among them being, beside the recipients OF the
medals Chief Engineer Pcfey and Assistants Rhodes
Mash shay Grandon, AID Gequelle. Gen. shaler Presl
aont Hitchman OF the Ere Commissioners, Col T. Bailey
Mvers of the Trustees Of the Bennett Fund and Prof.
Doremue seated inside the railing The proceed
ines opened by the appointment Of Col Myers as
President Of the meeting.
In the course Of his remarks upon taking the CHAIR ne
spoke OF the mOnastic life of the men upon whom all
relied IN case of emergency and the striking quaIues
demanded from the members OF the Fire Department
Byery man who comes into the must be unexcep
tionabe Secluded they are always on the alert ior
possible danger every arrangement is made for their
comfort He spoke Of the varions duties OF the hre-
man. beyond extinguishng fires, in removing facilities
for fire.
he then paid tribute to the old Volunteer Depart
partment He spoke of the almost military exaetness
OF the present discipline, by which fire could be
reached and attacked with much promptness In lSs
the Volunteer Department organized, and in l7ssit
was incorporated During the rs that II existed
many acts heroism have been credited to Il, and
saternal feeling cemented 10 II winch mas asleu 10 tnis
In 1865 the present Department formed not from
dissatisfaction with the volunteers, but 70 prevent te
attendance Of those who took occasion TO pront oy tne
loss Of others He closed with euogy OF the zeai ana
energy OF the Department. -,
Prof r. ogden Doremus was then introduced as me
speaker OF the evening In audng 70 the place OF the
meeting he said there was similarity between lhe u9c
and the remsD both having 70 aeai Ta1 rna1e nIe e
then said: Heat necessary TO us bu we must
our slave. The element that burns is oxygen III is
the substance you have to combat with. -,,.
A jar Of oxygen was brought forward, and candles
creased. Zine also burned in 1t, showing how sub
stance otherwise slightly combustble easily burned
The other element of the air. the lecturer continued Is
viii Combine with nothing long 1t is sort Q: negative
Donenty. 1t will not poison youi but IL you Dreathe
1t without oxygen you miss the lfegivng element II
dilues the oxygen like water in topers brandy III
put piece Of carbon in some gases it viii combine
with and cause others 10 combine. -
There other substances which Will combine with
air in the same way phosphorus as bsnphde oi phos
phorus the material which used years ago III
the attempt fire hotels Platinum In fine powder,
thrown upon paper moistened with ALCOHOL VIII gio"
Tbey absorb the oxygen of the air, and fame soon
These little experiments very important. Old rags
aud such greasy materials are very dangerons cause
of fire, much TO be dreaded as gunpowder EXPLOSIONS
We use water as an extDgmSer but Its constituents are
Among the agents for extinguishing fires is carbonc
acid One OF iis properties is weight but the most I'M
can be compressed in liquid form. The gas can De
nsed for the extngushment OF fires in confined places,
in warehouses IL be shOwnin solid FORM about
1850 below zero You can swallow IT, II you do il quickly.
IL may be placed in red hot platinum dish and mer-
curry beng placed also in it, then will freeze. A. $500
Chemistry knows Of many gases having the same
property. One is suphuric acid IL has been proposed
extiDguishing fire. There are chemical bodies which
viii prevent fire. will set rre to this curtan it burns
readily. This only chars
After much examination / have found the phosphate
present should tread upon match what wouid save
bert Many have lost their lives isom Just such simple
causes The phosphate of ammonia has only TO be ap-
piled TO the dress curtain and IT is rendered hreooI
word with regard to the shape of our cities Do not
of fre should they not be broken Then the build
ing material very important question The effect OF
heat upon iron; marble or granite ana tne acton u
double walled building is warmer in Winter ana
cooler in Summer. These would be great protection
unconsumable material 1t was used by the ancients
se substance IN which TO wrap the bodies OF @ ther
We should have our floors arched, with IRON beams
Woodwork be rendered incombustibe by satwating
II with certain ingredients.
Elevators and stairway should IN some way be pro
teeted They form sort of chimney which increases
the flames Then as to cutting on the gas In Phlia-
dslpha no house can have gas let in without having
cutoff attached. Districts, as well as houses should
In case Of a large fire. the first thing want is
waer salt water T he 9S ther and
Eigsty-8fth-s there Is not single sESS "" sss41ld
have some sort Of fire police 70 check the fire at its very
outset. We need more men in the Fire Department
itself The cities around New-YOrk should have the
hosecouplngs so that mutual service in case OF
II would seem that our citizens should sympsthize
more heartily with our hremen If half the words that
said after the death of Horace Greeley had been
said before he would have been alive now Our homes
be but that should take advantage OF
every opportunity 10 increase our means OF safety
THE FIRENEN HoEoRED.
Upon the conclusion Of the lecture, which illus
trated by many very successful experiments, Col.
Bailey proceeded 10 the presentation Of the medals AS
their names called the stepped forward, amid
the applause Of the audience The first Charles L.
Kelley Assistant Foreman of Engine No 9, who, at
FIRE upon Feb climbed TO the second story OF the
building while the first floor was in flames and rescued
lie has since been promoted holds the position
of foreman The second was Thomas Henry, assistant
foreman of Hook and Ladder Carriage No. 6. He en-
tered the second floor OF burning budlng ana rescued
three women and children At another fire he saved
she lives of two men Thomas Hutchinson is foreman,
attached 10 Hook and Ladder Carriage No /.
He climbed up the hre-escape and rescued from
very perOas condition. Ambrose l.. Austin Foreman
of Engine No g. observed woman trying 10 ascend the
basement steps OF burning building. She fell down
and saved her. receiving injuries himself in the at
Col Bailey addressed them speaking Of each man in
turn and narTang these circumstance. Assistant Eng
Nash then made the recipient OF the st bronze
long services in the field during the war and In the De-
partment since leaving the army.
letter was read from gentleman who was recently
rescued by themembers of Hook and Ladder Company
No. and who sent $500 70 be distributed among his pre-
ne salute from prof Doremus who lighted the de-
parure of the audience by burning some phosphorus in
q yaT Of oxygen.
THE JUVENILE GUARDIAN SOCIETY.
At meeting Of the directors of the Juve-
nile Guardian Society, Thursday, at the "Down-
town Relief rooms No. 20 Parkrow, the Secretary