New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-04
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
" PASSENGER SHIPS AND COTTON CARGOES."
cARBoNIC ACID FOR Use IN ExTINGusmNG
FIRES.


cARBoNIc ACID FOR Use IN ExTINGusmNG
FIRES.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir In the excellent editorial on Passenger Sllp7
and Cotton Cargoe' In your Issue Of July 30 attention
Is called to the fact that not Only is the cause OF fire
IN cotton ships unknown, but there seems to DC ho
satisfactory method Of extngshng IL or OF nspecunH
the cargo before putting II on board ana SEVERN
passenger companies are solving the problem ~ ue
cllnng TO take cotton OF ALL
IL appears TO that in these days OF SUBDIVISION u
ships into watertIght compartments it IS Decoinine
more and more feasible to supply apparatus
which will extinglish any fire which may occur WIN
ont damage to the cargo. Some seventeen years ago
when was an Instructor at the United states torpeuo
station at Newport II. l.. the chemist the late W. A.
Ill., and myself much occupied with tne MANI
facture Of liquid carbonlc acid for use as inc ino
power in tOrpedOes. We succeeded in maNlnH J" III
limited quantities, at cost Of about ~ oo"'s
pound. and steel TASKS were made for holding IL pS
John Matthew'S OF Eew-YorlS manufacturer Oh so''
water appliances. The gas is extracted from ~" 80
dust by snlphurc acid and compressed to % hqu'u y,
means OF powerful pumps with the aSss,""o
q low temperature. In the Hqud lorn
pound occupies the space of a cube Oh aDo'I ohos
inches on the SIDE or about twenty seven ono,. .
and the liquid exerts pressure OF ABOUT wv 80,
per square inch with the thermometer al 40 ga
Fahrenheit and 200 pounds per square i'0m nos,s
thermometer at g5 degrees Fahrenheit. Inc n", no
aadn NV Matthews were tested to a pressure OF 3'@oo
pounds per square Inch and they heiu 'ne "4'
ont leakage summer and winter nut. 81,
I WAS strnck at this time with the lea'ioiNF "
applying this substance to ships carrying SUI 49,
cotton. wool. lutte etc, and delivered u iec'"e o
thIs snbiect at the Boston Institute OF le0"noe''
which. however. attracted little Afternoon "in.o
carbono acid gas will not injure the most uen0"V0
fabrics or other goods 1t is far superior 10
water Ordinary chemical fire extinguislelS o"'5
generate small amount of gas which Is USED " p'ope
a stream Of water to the fire; but WhaO - van" "
these cases OF spontaneous comDusuoh' Vi .
they nav be- is the gas and nothing else eA''p' ".
Ny scheme Is to have flask OF hquld c@'ooIaD ~
for each compartment with branch pipes leading 70
,ho ho,tom Of the hold Each pound Of the liquid
when liberated ~ means Of cock VIII ehpa1iu 10
casoops cube OF about thirty inches per side at
ordinary temperature and not only IS nre-eAuh-
,,ishine gas produced but intense cold at the same
time which is of Itself a most important agent al
putting out fire. - H. - 49,,
The objections to my scheme ut inc uie VI my
lecture were that the TASKS must be always uhuer sh
pressure end the quantity of gas from each pound o
LIQUID is relatively small but we demonstrated AT 'ne
torpedo station that perfectly safe masks eoqG DC
made and today people are accustomed 10 hsher
nresSures in steam air and other motive power than
thew were at that time. The sInalHess vi ING soIl
partmentS Of the ships OF te pagS Il Should be re-
meHbered also that the air OF cOhparte ia
only be largely mixed with carpoIc b gu Gu s" dr
n Hre is extincushed the gas should be pumped out
of the compartment before men are alioWeu 10 etc
o. tho shin near the rail for safety and have them
suitably jackcted TO protect them from extreme c""e''
Vi ''"'p F. NJ BARBER. Commander U. S. Navy.
New York, July ID, 1891.