Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-11
#isfella
HOW TO ACT IN CASE OF FIRE.

There are very few people who can
keep cool in case they discover fire, and
this is the reason why more fires are not
put out in their incipient stages, before
any great damage is done.
In case you are walking along the
street and discover a chimney burning
out. make up your mind that the whole
house has got to 60 unless your own indi-
vidual exertions prevent. Therefore, Jerk
the gate off its hinges. kick the front door
in on the astonished family and yell
'.fire!' Your first yell needn't be louder
than the common Indian war-whoop, but
after the first you must exert yourself In
grand efforts to beat any other man In
that town who ever yelled over = burniDg
chimney. The family may desire an ex-
PLANTATION as the front door falls in and
you bound over it and begin to throw the
chairs around. There is no set answer to
repeat, but most men manage to says:
"Fire fire your house-get out
tire-hurry-blazes-fre-hang it-fre-
fire - si
They will generally accept the explana-
ton without argument, and you can 60
ahead and rescue the contents ofthe house.
Always commence on the parlor orna-
ments first. If you haven't time to save
anything but a chrome, half Of . marble
top stand, and the head of piece of stat
uary. you don't know how far these things
would 60 toward setting the burned-out
family to housekeeping again. The win
dows were made 10 throw things through.
II you can fling all the ornaments out,
wrench the sofa to pieces, and break the
legs Oft the chairs, you can consider you
have saved everything in the parlor worth
saving. If there is a stove in there tip. it
over as you rush to save the bedding and
other furniture. Don't threw q bed from
the chamber window nothing will break
a ieather-bed all to to pieces as quick as a
tall. Take them on your back and caro-
fully carry them from two to four blocks
away and deposit them gently on a door
step.
But the case is different with crockery
and looking-glasses you can heave them
out on the walk with perfect confidence
that they wouldn't even get flaw. Don't
try to save whole bedstead, but wrench
it to pieces, and throw three or four Stats
out. and then grab the bureau. Bureaus
are cumbersome articles TO handle, and it's
best to divide them in halves with the AZ,
and throw down the portions separately.
l had forgotten to say that it is positive
ly necessary for you to yell "firei" twice
per second. from the time you kick the
door in till the fire is out, or the house
burned down. If you didn't do this, some
of the family might forget that the house
was on fire and make arrangements to 60
visiting, or put on dried applesi to stew,
or go to setting emptyings.
An ordinary cool man win clear house
of all worth saving in about fifteen min
utes. especially il he has little help. If
the house goes for it, the family will not
fail to remember that, but for you, they
might have been roasted alive and if the
flames are subdued, they'll pick up the
looking-glass frames, drawer knobs.
pitcher handles, and chair legs, and move
back with hearts full OF gratitude that
you, noble hero, through your GOODNESS
and self-possession, saved all that was
worth saving,-M. Quad, in Fireside
Friend.