The Portland daily press., 1874-10-12
Best MANAGEMENT at Fires.

VIII len an alarm of fire breaks out the first
thing to do is TO remain calm, cool and col
lected. Take time to consider quietly what
you will do. and act with great moderation.
Such behavior on the part of the heads of the
family tends to keep the children and subor-
dinates in the same frame of mind. If it
comes at night, and there is not time to dress,
roll yourself in blanket, slip on your shoes
or boots. and thus accoutred you will be in
some degree protected against the danes.
See that all the family do the same thing and
pin the blankets securely. If the smoke is SO
very suffocating that you cannot breathe, 90
on your hands and knees, for with foct or
so of the floor there will be the purest air.
A wet silk handkerchief or piec9 of thin
gauze flannel, covering the face like mask,
will permit one to breathe better by keeping
the smoke out. If the fire is in such locality
that you can neither make your way upward
nor downward, go into front room, and if
possible collect your family there But do
not throw yourself out of the windows, or let
others do so, until you have made line by
tying sheets and blankets together, and let
ting one another down by it--first fastening
1t securely to the bedposts, or bureaus, or
something heavy enough to hold it and extra
weight put on it. If no blankets or sheets
are at hanG, call out from the windows for
ladders to be raised to your relief, or to have
some strong persons hold sheet or blanket
tightly at its four corners for jumping
sheet,o and jump into it. In letting Others
down by rope made of alternate sheets and
blankets tied at opposite corners, fasten it
around their waists, and lower them slowly,
and lastly slide down by it yourself
When chimney is found to be on fire,
throw into the crate or fireplace few hands
full of common salt, or scatter -four of sulphur
over the dullest of the Goals. This will cause
mephitic vapors to ascend, which will cheek
the force of the fire. Cut off all currents of air
up the chimney, by fastening wet piece of
old carpet or a blanket across the fireplace.
Water should never be thrown from above,
above, down the chimney, for it would injure
the carpet and furniture.
Ho,v to Check the Progress of Fires
'Fire Extingnishers," charged carbonic acid
gas, formed by the combination of chemicals,
throws the fluid with such force that it will
reach distance of twenty or thirty feet.
Fire cannot progress in this gas, and the
amount discharged by one of these exiting
uishers stiles it directly, over a large surface.
But if you do not possess one of these vaua-
BILE engines, you should remember that wet
carpets, rugs and blankets are far more
effectual in extinguishing and preventing the
spread OF fire than water thrown on, and at
the same time do far less damage to the furni-
ture. In the confusion and haste incidental
to fire, doors and windows are apt to be
thrown open, but they should be carefully
shut as fire can only spread rapidly when it
Is plentifuly supplied with air.
II you discover your clothes ito be on fire,
keep yourself calm, and retain your presence
OF mind, and on no account rush wildly from
room to room. If you are alone, seize any
loose rug or woolen article at hand, and wrap
it lightly about you /; this will stife the flames
at once. Ifnothing of the kind is near, and
there is no one to help you, wrap your cloth
ing about you and roll on the floor; this will
extinguish the flames in great degree. If
man is near when woman's clothes catch fire,
let him throw her onsthe floor, and, if no 9TH
er article is near, snatch off his own coat and
wrap it about her, but woClen shawl or
blanket will do as we'll
Common Precautions.- most fruitful
sources of the fires arise from the mismanage-
ment of matches, candles, kerosene lamps
and gas, and OF fires in CRATES or on the
hearth. and spent ashes. Many of our large
fires result directly from children being al
lowed to play with lucifer matches. These
dangerous articles should always be kept un-
der lock and key, or on very high shelf, out
OF the reach OF children, and they should be
made to comprehend that they are touch nots,
handle nots, and be punished if they trans
gress. But even mice will sometimes cause
fires by dragging off box of matches to their
nests, as they like to nibble the phosphorus.
Lucifer matches are undoubtedly great i'm
prcvement upon the flint and finder of our
great grandfather's days, but their manufac-
ture is destructive TO the health of the opera
tives, and their misuse often endangers both
life and property.
Kerosene lamps and candles are more dan
gerous than gas burners, because they a:e car
ried abont the house, and unless the lamps are
kept well filled, they are liz danger of explod-
ing from conclusive gas arising on the sur
face of the oil when if lifted up and carried
about, an explosion is imminent. A common
candle should never be left burningin a room,
In case of an escape from gas pipes, turn il
off at the meter, and open doors and windows
at once, but be very careful not to light a
match in the room, or bring in lighted can
die. Cinders and ashes, apparently dead,
should never be put into wooden bucket, or
set in closet. Wood ashes require more
care than coal ashes, as they are more liable
to kinde.-Country Gentleman.