St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-22
THE "GIBLIN, VICTORY.
"A Contest Between the Owners OF
Hand Fire ExtiDguishers Wit
messed by Several Humid.
red People.

1t has long been a much-disputed ques-
ton as to which of the numerous hand fire
eXtinguishers is the best. OF course each
manufacturer of gaseous fluids which are
kept bottled for use in case of fire have
claimed that theirs should occupy the first
position of merit, but Messrs Beach & Col
grove, general agents for the Giblin i'll Min
neSOta, Iowa and Dakota, feeling so conf
dent of the superiority of their make, boldly
challenged all others to engage with them
in competitive test and appointed yester-
day afternoon at o'clock as the time for it,
selecting the west end of the WabaSha street
bridge as a convenient spot. In Self-de-
Tense several manufacturers made pre-
lenses at picking up the gauntlet, but none
appeared on the field of action when the
proper hour arrived but the representative
of the Well-knoWn Star hand grenade fire
eXtinguiSher.
The ''Star and "Giblin" had each erected
small ten by twelve frame buildings, and
also three-Sided structures so that effects
upon both indoors and open air fires could
be tested. A DOuntiful supply of ShavlngS
and pine wood was slowed III the Enclosures
and well saturated with kerosene, as were
also the side walls. The first kindled fire
was in the ''Giblin' house. The oil-SOaked
boards We're i'll an instant thoroughly Ell
Veloped in flames, which shot high into the
air. They were allowed to have their own
way for little while 50 that it seemed inl-
possible to control them by any means. At
given signal eight bottles of the Goblin"
were thrown through the door into the fire,
and to those unfamiliar with chemistry, a
miracle was wrought. In less than one
minutes time not a blaze was to be seen.
This won for the Goblin storms
of applause from the multitude of people
who had gathered to witness the scene.
Next match was. applied to the Star
building and a later moment it presented
the same appearance as had its near
neighbor. Bottle after bottle of the ''Star"
hand grenade was hurled rapidly into the
fire but there was scarcely perceptible
change in the sway of the flames. In des
peration one Of the managers began break
ing the bottles over bucket with a Ratchet
and the contents We're consigned to the
burning building, but the fight was vain
one. Soon nothing but charred Goals marked
the spot.
Another round was given, the tests this
time being with the three-sided structures.
With six bottles of the "Gibiin" and i'll
half minutes time big fire was put out.
In fifteen minutes, and with the aid of a
bucket, Ratchet and ladder, and innumer
able bottles of the Star" the Harden
company accomplished like result The
test was in every sense fair one and the
Giblim Self-Acting Fire EXtingusher COM
pany have proven that they possess an
article invaluable to every house, store
hotel or factory owner. The preparation
is simply glass bottle filled with a liquid
having the power of taking up two thousand
times its volume of the gas employed to eX-
tinguish the fire. The gas used is the most
perfect non-supporter of combustion known
to chemistry. Within the gas vessel is a
tube with an. explosive agent, connecting
with which is a waterproof, instantaneous
fuse. 1t is simply thrown into fire when
the desired object is attained.