The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-18
WITH YOUR HOUSE AFIRE,
RUsH 10 THB FIRE ALARM Box-TOU
sHOULD KNOW nov 40 WORk IT.

macs tie Door and Fuit the uookt the Fire.
meu WITT DO the Rr-t-Thincs 90 BE
Move when Ous AwHke- Go SMOKE.
"one Of the greatest difficulties the lremcn
have TO contend with Is the fact that nres arc
allowed to gain too much headway before thrg
are informed OF them" said chief Bonner the
other day. The reason for this is that tie
average citizen has not had tho good sense 10
take few necessary and simple precautions.
When a fire does break out in his house lie Is
caught totally unprcpareJ. and, In nine cases
out Of ten. loses his head ana tries to extin-
cuish IL hi m self without giving thought to
the fact that such things a. nrcmen exist.
After wasting valuable time without accom-
plIshing any good. lie Is hnaily forced to give
up his task and then calls on the lrcmem ~
course It taxes him considerable tme to do
eypn this as he IL probably unaware OF the 10.
cation OF the fire alarm box. and when he dOos
find IL. 10 ignorant as to its Workings
We calculate time by seconds in the case o,
alarms. and II il the duty OF every citlzrn 10
cooperate withus. II he did so there woull bs
small chance Of any loss Of lie with the modern
life. saving apparatus whore we got cAau,-
TO use 1t. Now. don't mean to say that an
alarm should DO sent In at II stga 81 smoke "
fame. or ON suspicion that there IS hrc ,rN-
ing In tho house. but a little common sruss
with quick judgment will do In TIE nrst
place everybody should to prepared for ..rc"t
and family Of the nearest ire alarm BOY ~ !Hs
home or store. and ascertain wnerc To Ind 'us
key and also how to give the alarm Iw. -
nm easy matter. The location OF tnu Hcy l. %
be found on a sign ON the polo 20 which tuc no
alarm box Is attached. Any rrp"ial do c.,,a.u
can obtain a key by making apple ttt'n To- soc
comma ndng officer OF the Hrc comphny Ac.s.
est his location. some fire alarm boxes haze
KEYS attached to chain and tag and last i
Al. o hat - FIR.
moment Of course tho deraittncnt taAcs no
risk OF false alarms in such cases. and tu'
presence OF tho KEY drpt nls Ia! eel, UG SO
locality. The PENALTY for scndin# Ia Il -
alarm IL 5000 or II term of imprisonment Hui
It il enforced where tho culprit is ca4.Ai ."A
can be convicted.
In order to show you Just how 90 sen IN "a
alarm. 50 that there can he no error. the boxes
have Instructions D inted, 10 that he who tdHs
may read After opening the outer dOog an
other door fs disclosed. which has a hook On
the outside. This hook should be pulled down
as far as II will go. only once. This hook
catches a lever ON the inside and winds the
machinery You can plainly hear the tarping
OF the signal inside. and /! you should not hear
It after second trial. why. the box Is out OF o.
der. and the next nearest box should Do tried.
Tho keyless boxes have an alarm gong con-
nected with the handle. which rings Just "a
soon as the handle 10 moved. This does not
send tho alarm. as many persons surpos'. Tut
is Just used to attract attention to anybody
tampering with the box mischievously. o
open a keyless box the handle shoull b.
turned to the right rs far as possible AMI
then the inner door will be exposed and tho
alarm can be sent in as in the case of boxes
with keys.
Sup posing that the person who sends the
alarm should be required to leave the box be-
fore tho first fre APPARATUS arrives. somebody
ought TO be ask ed to remain there so as to III
form the Il remen as to the exact location, AS
the box does not give that The Fire Depart
ment should be notified OF the presence VI fire
as early as possible. and then every means at
hand should BE- used to extingush or prevent
the nre from spreading Wher" water ~ used,
as much surface Of the fire as possible should
be covered, and II also should DO remembered
that IA small quantity Of water Iudicious!y dis
triDuted Will stop small fire quicker than
larger quantity thrown in one spot.
A fire in the night Is necessarily more dan
gerous than day nrc, because IT generally
psrayz.s the senses Of The persons in the
house tYs the moment, IL J"a should he
tion by smoke, you may Obtain relief TO some
extent by lying flat on YOUR stomach aud hold.
ing the face close TO the floor. Smoke and hot
air ascend. and the coolest and freshest air T.
found nearest the floor. The windows should
be lowered from the top and raised from the
bottom, SO as to allow accumulated smoke 10
escape from TIE rooms; Piece 81 siIk or
IL IL Is wet or dampened
Persons should not waste any time by at
tenn pting to dress or In endeavoring to save
anything. The simplest thing to do is tn,iust
wrap your blankst around you and get out the
quickest way possible The doors should lie
kept closed so that all draughrs ar" prevented.
one should bear in mind that blankets and
sheets knotted together ana fastened 10 any
permanent hxture are u very enc tive means
OF escape. II all means OF escape are cut oil,
the person IN danger shoul try 10 retain pres
ence OF mind. There are few places in thcclt
that cannot be reached In from one to four
minutes ut the most by fire apparatus, ami, a.
all carry ltie-savinE I'm plements. II is hut the
work OF u few seconds TO get them in position.
In the event OF persons clothing taking ilro
placed in n horizontal IositiSn at once and
wrapped NJ in anything that will cxclGae the
air. Women and children are more liable 10
suffer In this way than anybody else, and
especial care should be taken in that case
The clothing OF the person attacked by IRE
ought to be removed Immediately after the
flames are eNtinguished and the injured parts
bathed with linseed or sweet oil.
The records OF the department chow that
fires are caused prime Ipully by careless NorS-
men, foul chimneys, defective nueS, gas 1rs.
fireworks. hot ashes accumulation OF Tubhi-l,
overheat0d furnaces and 81 ives. chiidreL and
matches, electric light wires. and Kerosene
niZed the innttention OF most persons To- keep
themselves Informed about llrps. and highly
colOred cards are distributed which give the
location OF the nearest alarm box and lnstTu.-
tions for sending in alarms. Persons are also
cautioned to see that their stoves, heater.
closing up their stores or before retiring. A
few minutes thought will suffice for auyuody
who wants 10 be prepared. aud IL should 10 Is-
mem5erei that foTewarned is furearmed."