Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-04
SCIENCE OF FIRES.
Explained by n Man Who Has Made
1t q Life Study.

SCIENCE OF FIRES.
Explained by n Man Who Has Made
1t a Life Study.
From the New York Sun.
Simon Brentano, of the well-known pub
HshiI firm, for twenty years has been
studying fires ana the methods of extin-
gushing them. During that time he has
missed but few of the big fires in this city,
and once he was burned out himself.
In Mr.. Brentano's house in Livingston
place there is one room almost wholly given
UP to fire literature and fire art. On the
walls are pictures-many of them old and
rare-of famous confiagrations. On the
nantel ard TIE table are relics and me-
mentos of great disasters from the flames,
and the book shelves are filled with treat
ises in various languages on this subject,
some of them dating back to the sixteenth
century. 1t is the most complete collection
OF pyro-literature in this country, perhaps
in the world. In this room a Sun reporter
fotnd Mr.. Brentano, contentedly studying
a German book CT the eighteenth century
which treated of his favorite subject.
Part of my amusement in life is in this
sort of thing said Mr.. Brentano. "One
can't always be going to fires, which is
what should like to do in my leisure mo-
mentS, but one can always find something
to read about them by looking far enough.
l have studied this subject aSsiduously, and
am just beginning to find out how much
there is about fire that neither nor any
body else knows. For many years now
have been in the habit of going to fires,
and have passed much time in the various
engine houses, so that l am perfectly IA
miliar with our system here. and I am
somewhat familiar with systems in other
countries. In practical usefulness the de-
partments of many of our big cities are un-
eNcelled. Here, for instance, our firemen
can mobilize at a threatened point with
admirable speed. There is no homogeneity
of method in this country, however, as is
the case in foreign nations. Different cities
have different organizations, according to
their needs. Some use fire engines, some
depend upon reservoir power, and, of
course, in many of the smaller towns the
volunteer system still obtains. In the big
cities. however, fire fighting is brought to
the standing of a science.
Every firemsn. but almost no outsider"
continued Mr.. Brentano, realizes that
there are in every great fire elements Of
mystery. 1t is this that makes the work of
extinguishing so dangerous. No two fires
act alike. There are sudden bursts of flame
that leap out from unexpected places ana
drag men down to death. Again, who is
there that understands along what lines
fire spreads? How are we to explain those
explosions in buildings where there IS
known to be no explosive material? We
dent even know-nor is there any way of
finding out, apparently-what the tempera-
trre Of a great fire is, or what its thrust
Ing power, the force of penetration of the
flames. unGer what circumstances of
heat and pressure granite begins to crGm-
BILE, or brick to become soft and pulpy. No
one has ever analysed the heat units in
ccnflagration. The architects of build
ing don't know how nearly fire-proof any
substance they use may be.
Now in addition to these matters, which
are entirely unknown, there are other
points in every fire, which, if known to the
firemen, would greatly decrease the danger
al MI los of fhafY
'The pyramids may be fire-proof 1
shouldn't wonder if they were. 1t is a
question of mass. To make a building fire
proof means to take away one-third to one
half of it's available space. 1t would be
immensely expensive, and l don't think We
shall see one here. Every window you put
in, every elevator shaft you put in, every
oren stairway you arrange for, is just SO
great a certain detracton from the fire.
proof quality of your building. The term
fire-rroof is a comparative term. One
thing YOU may be certain of: Put enough
draushtways in a building and it can be
burned down, no matter what the ma teridl
may be.
MY experience in studying fires has for
mulated itself into this theory garding
these explosions At a certain stage of
great fire gas Is generated by the great
heat and the great pressure. other agencies
of which we know nothing possibly having
some part in it. This gas is generated. not
in the part where the flames are active,
but in confined spaces subject to the heat.
as. fer instance, an intact building near the
burning building. At a certain pressure
this gas Is explosive upon ignition, like
ordinary illuminating gas 1t is this that
causes the violent explosions SO often
noted. A flame or even a spark, reaches
confined space where this gas is closely
compressed, and it igntes and bursts out.
Proofs of the presence of this gas
plentiful. Any fireman can tell you that
many fires are first discovered by the sound
of crashing glass. That is the pressure of
tits gas bursting out of the windows 1t
naturally bursts out at the weakest places
ard. CT ce having obtained free outlet, the
danger of explosion from ignition is over.
The hope and theory of fire fighting Is to
bring to its highest development the system
of quick alarm and prompt response; to
mass in the shortest possible time at the
nearest possible point to the fire the great
est power available. Once a great fire gers
Roadway. what it has grasped is doomed.
The battle is to keep it from grasping more
Our greatest achievement in fighting the
flames has been the perfecting of the
science of fire defense