The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
SCIENCE OF FIRES.
Explained by a Man Who Has Made
1t a Life study.
From the New York Sun

From the New York Sun
Simon Brentano, of the weH known pub
fishing firm, for twenty years has been
studying fires and 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 CONGREGATIONS.
On the mantel and the table are relics and
mementos of great disasters from the
names, and the book shelves are filled with
treatises in various languages on this
subject, some Of them dating back to tha
sixteenth century. 1t is the most COM
pete collection of pyro-litera ture in this
country country perhaps in the world. In this
room sun reporter found Mr.. Brentano.
contentedly studying a German book ~
the eighteenth century which treated on
his faVorite subject -
Part of my amusement in life is in This
sort OF thing, said Mr.. Brentano. zone
can't always be going to fires, which is
what would like to do in my leisure mo-
ments, but one can always find sonethine
to read about them BY looking FAR enoilsh9
have studied this subject assidiouslv
ana l am Just beginning to find out how
much tnelS 10 about fire that naither I
nor anybody else knows. For many ' vel =. I
now L have been in the habit of going 10
Iires. ana have passed much time in the
FTP SltTuS e engine houses, so that am per-
Ieclly tamillar with our system here. and
l am somewhat familiar with systems In
1bte5 ooulItties: IN practical usefulness
ne OF many Of our big cities
Ireimen can mobilize at threatened point
with admirable speed There is no bpo y1i1'
geneity Of method in this country. how
SHsr, as Is the case in foreign nations
Different cities have differenf ora s5g -.
uons, according to their needs. Soma Use
IRE engines some depend upon reservoir
power, and, Of course, in many of tba
smaller towns the voiinteer Svstarw ~ tuS
eeDlalns. In the big cities, however. FIRE
ng;hting Is brought to the standing Of a
Every fireman, but almost no o,,tsi5o,. .,
eohtlnued Mr.. Brentano, Realizes that
SuSLS are IN every great fire elements of
aaySeeIy. ~ IS this that makes the work Of
eatlngulsnlng so dangerous. No two fires
act ailke. mere are sudden bursts of fame
Snae reap ogt Irom unexpected places and
4rag men down to death. Again, who is
there that understands along What lines -
hre spreads? How are we to exnIafp +besa
explosions in buildings where there is
known TO be no explosive material? We
Qon even knoW-nor is there anv wav Of
nndlng out, apparently-what tbe ten1na ~
ature of great fire is, or what its 'thrgst-
ing power the force of penetration ~ he
beat ~, 81 uliuer what circumstances of
pie, or brick to become soft ana nnInIt
NO one has ever analysed the heat rIite II
q co1nagra tlon. The architects of a build
ing don't know how nearly fire~proof am,
substance they use may be- '
NOW, IN addition to these matters
when are entirely unknown, there are
other points IN every fire. which if known
TO the nremen, would greatly decrease Tho
danger and difficulties of their work
me pyramids may be fire-prooe. 7
shouldn't wonder if they We're II js =
question Of mass. To make buildinS r.
proof means TO take away one-third 10
one-halt OF its available space. II Vonld he
immensely expensive, and don't think We
Shau see one here. Every window Won n1,f
in, every elevator shaft you nut in everv
open stairway you arrange for, is lust 50
great certain detraction from the fire.
proof quality of your building. The term
nre-proof IS a comparative term One
thing you may be certain of: Put enoUrb
draughtyways in building and il can Re
burned down, no matter what the material
My experience in studying fires has
formulated itself into this theory re-
stage of a great fire gas is genersfa 49,
by the great heat and the great press1rs
other agencies OF which we know nothines
possibly having some part in it. This qas
is generated, not in the part whers S95aee
flames are active, but in confined snacas
subject to the heat as, for instance an
ihtaet Duii o. near the burning building.
upon ignition, like ordinary illuminsfinS
gas; II is this that causes the Violent
explosions 50 often noted. A flame, or
even spark, reaches a confined space
where this gas is closely COMPRISES
and IL ignites and bursts out
Proofs of the presence of this e-as o,a
plentiful. Any fireman can tell Won tbat
many fires are first discovered bv tbe
sound or crashing glass. That Is the
pressure OF this gas bursting out OF
the windows. II naturally bursts out ~
the weakest places. and, once havine
obtained free outlet, the danger OF eYpio.
sion from ignition Is over. ~
The hope and theory OF fire fghtina, Is
20 bring 20 It's highest development tbe
system OF quick alarm and PROMPT Re-
sponse, % mass la the shortest p6ssille
tne ~ the Dearezt possible point 10 ne