The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-05
PUTTING OUT FIRES.
Few People Understand Reason
Why Water Extinguishes Flames

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Why Water distinguishes Flames
How does water put out a fire2p is a
question that seems easy enough to an
swer. h,,t when It comes to be- explained
tbs person who attempts 1t. unless he is
versed In chemistry and science, Is liable
to md himself in q mole. The question
seems simple enough on the face Of It.
but there are many simple chemical
Problems that go to make It anything
but easy to solve. N5$ IF
The problem has often been asked
school children, who have taken chem
istryga the sciences, to test their know
ledge OF the subjects, but In nearly every
case the answers were anything but cor
rect. The usual answer Is that thp water
makes the wood or other materials wet.
and az hre won't burn wet things it
necessarily must extinguish the flames.
Such deductions areatar from correct
In order to understand the action Of
water on FIRE one must have some sinti-
mate knowledge CT the properties Of fire.
Fire. says Prof, Garrett p. serviss, "ia
q form of chemical combustlonin which
flames make their appearance. There
may be combustion without flames. but
not without heat. Wood In burning al
ways gives OF flames. as do some kinds
Of coal, but there are other kinds OF coal
that do not
must be two things, at least. concerned.
In the first place, there must be the
combuStibls, or thing that burns. and In
the neXt case there must be some sup
porter of combustion, When wood burns
In the open air the wood Is tho COM
bustibla and the air the supporter Of the
combustion
Bangor people who have seen hlgi fires
have probably noticed that during the
progress OF the blaze there have been
times when the flames seemingly died
out, would blaze up again with redoub-
led fury. The reason for this is that the
water which has been poured on has
supplied oxygen to the flames, giving
them renewed vlgor. This Is the case in
high wind, when the Are becoming
strengthened by the fresh oxygen. gets
fiercer and fiercer and is thus harder to
put out. In dead calm, fire Is always
easy to extinguish for the reason that
all the oxygen in the vicinity Of the
flames has been consumed
A little water is of no use In extinguish-
Ing fire for the very reason that 1t Is
not enough to offset the heat OF the,
hasnes, but is set off into Its component
parts and Is burnt up in the flames
the oxygen only making the flames
hercer,
The question now arises how a lot Of
water. instead Of supporting combustion.
does the opposite and extinguishes the
flames. The reason is that huge vol
urne of water falling upon the flames 10
too great for the heat Of the flames TO
disassociate into Its parts. but instead
sore Of extinguishes the flames Water
has a remarkable property that OF high
specific heat. Many people In watching
a burning building have noticed the fire.
men pouring streama Of water on the
blaze and the accompanying kissing noise
and rising steam. The formation OF the
steam has suddenly drawn an immense
amount Of heat from the combustion 60
ing on In the building and so has tended
to cool on tho building materials and sub
1ue the fury OF the flames.
Because Q; the great specific heat ca
pacity OF water and the consequent alb
sorption OF heat from the fre to form
the steam. there Is not enough heat left
to release the oxygen from the hydro
gen. or In other words to- set the two
gases burning, and thus the
streams of water pouring In
and on the f,re and the clouds Of steam
r.slng serve as a. sort OF blanket. which
shuts OFT the air from the flames and
them from obtaining more oxy.
gen. This constantly being repeated
tends to deaden the blaze more and more
until 1t finally dies out,-Hangor Com
~, II +. I.vl 7