Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-12
EXTINGUISHER TEST.
Some Practical Experiments
with Patent EXtinguishers-
How They Operated-An I'm
pOrtant Question.


pOrtant Question.
For the benefit OF the Board of Educa-
ton, to whom the matter may be OF the
greatest importance, a practical test oil
various portable fire eXtinguishers, was
made on Saturday afternoon, on the site
of the old Athaeneum. The experiments
were conducted under the supervision
OF DR.. J. II. Connolly, who has spent
several years in experimenting upon and
periecting an extinguisher. Three were
used upon this occasion, one OF his make
and two of the Babcock patent, the test
being witnessed by several members OF
the Board OF Education and large
gathering OF spectators.
Nine empty barrels partially hlled
with shavings saturated with naphtha,
were piled in pyramidal form to serve
as the basis Corporations, and fire being
communicated the whole mass was
almost instantly in a blaze. Alter
giving time sufficient to allow the fire
to get well under way, the Connolly
extinguisher was taken up by the
Doctor and the hose directed upon the
blaze. The effect was instantaneous.
Wherever the fluid struck, the fire dis
appeared as if by magic, leaving the dead
embers scarcely smoking.
The fire was then renewed and guam
tity OF oil poured over the barrels. When
the blaze was at its height, a stream
from one Of the BabcOcks was thrown
upon it. But something was the mat
ter, the fixing OF the stream and the IT.
regularity of the supply ofiuid showing
that the machine was drawing air. Not
/ until the cXtinguisher was almost cX-
hausted, was it noticed that the dlrec-
! tons requiring it TO be inverted mad not
! been complied with 1t. This was done
and the result was satisfactory. The
other BabcOck was then turned on, all
three playing at once and in moment,
not vcStige OF fire remained.
The experiment was a pronounced
success. The inhammable material
used caused a much more fierce and
rapid fire than could ordinarily occur in
| the same time. In less than two min
utes after the fire was applied the entire
mass was roaring like a furnace, and in
not more than ten seconds after the APP
plicatiOn OF the eXtinguishing fluid,
! nothing but a dead mass remained.
| All the machines used are small, COM
pact and portable, and can easily be
! carried about upon the back OF the
! operator, and the stream is forced to a
! distance sufficient TO enable him To
operate upon fire without danger to
| himself. Every one who witnessed the
test came away impressed with the be-
! lief that in nine OF every ten fires that
! have occurred here lately, the presence
! of one of these cXtingulshers would
! have checked the flames ut the outset.
The question that may, and at no dis
tant day, agitate the minds OF the Board
| Of Education, is one that has attract
| ed attention all over the country: How
shall we protect our school houses ana
our children? The question is one OF
vital importance and onein which all are
more or less directly interested. We
! have been saved the misfortune OF such
! an occurrence here, but numerous fires
which have taken place during the past
winter in school houses open our eyes
10 the fact that such calamity may fall
! upon us at any moment. What the re-
! suit would be can scarcely be imagined.
And now, shall our school houses be
! provided with fire eXtingulshers? DlS-
! cussions on the subject have occupied
the attention OF various legislatures and
school boards throughout the country
and it is probable that within the year,
if nothing is done by the school boards
towards providing some means OF pro-
lection easily controlled and operated by
the inmates that lcgistiyc bodies will
take the matter in hand. Kansas has
| recently passed bill requiring all thea
! tres, hotels and school houses to be pro-
! yidcd with chemical fire cXtinguishcr
on each floor, or a force pump with
pipes leading throughout the building,
with hose attached.
That this law will prove beneficial is
not to be doubted, for the majority OF
fires occurring in such places are dis.
covered when quite small, and could
be readily eXtinguishcd if such appli-
ances were at hand to ice used inStanta-
neouslv, without losing the time ncCcs-
! sary to give an alarm and secure scrvi-
ces of the fire department. One great
! advantage in having school houses pro.
vided with such apparatus would be the
prevention of panicS, which are really
more to be feared than fires. A mum
Der of the larger pupils could be or
ganized into fire brigade,
and drilled by giving an alarm
every day, the most prompt
OF the brigade securing cXtinguishcrS
and visiting the rooms on each floor.
! The alarm should be given at irregular
periods and the children would become
accustomed to it and watch for the
amateur tiremen to appear with their
| machines.
It would be impossible for fire to
occur in a school when occupied that
could not be controlled by three or four
extinguisherS, and we confidently be-
leve that this system would afford alb
solute protection from both panics and
| fires.
We offer this as a suggestion, and
hope the proper authorities will take the
matter into consideration, for it is GER
tainly deserving OF attention.