The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-18
TAKE PRECAUT|ON
 AGAINST A BLAZE
Suggestions To the Owner Of
 the Small Garage
ON FIRE PREVENTION
Some Storage ReguIations-"No Smolx- ing. signs Mean Something-Water As An Extinguisher-NO Good
 In Gasoline Fire

James s. Madison in The Automobile.
 In view of the high rates of insur- Ance many owners of small garage 1o not take out policies, preferring to run the risk of a possible fire. This line of action Is sometimes dictated by lack of funds and sometimes by willing ness to trust to- /eck.
 But whatever the cause which may lead one to neglect or refuse to take out insurance on his garage. he should in any event observe certain simple pre- cautions that will lessen the possi- bilities of a fire and he should pro- vide certain simple safeguards that will aid in lessening the damage that might occur in case a fire should get started.
 The precautions against fire which every conservative owner will take in- clude the firm refusal to store or per- init to be stored even small quan- titles of gasoline, wood alcohol, ordi- nary alcohol, kerosene, lubricating oil or other inflammable substance in or near the garage.
 The gasoline in the cars tank Is a source of danger because: CD There is always the possibility of a leak devel oping, which will permit the liquid to flow out over certain parts of the chassis ont othe floor or into the drip pan; (2) the needle valve of the car bureter may not fit the seat properly --it may be held open by so small an object as a grain of sand--this would cause the gasoline to flood the car bureter and overflow onto the floor The fact that there Is gasoline on the floor or dripping from the car is not necessarily dangerous condition, but it becomes so instantly if a burning match be dropped, or if a stray elec- tric spark due to a short circuit In battery timer. magneto or other cause is produced on attempting to start the 2 engine. Even a spark caused by tn e T nails in ones shoes coming in contact 4 with hard object (concrete floor, for fnstance). Is perfectly capable of start ing a disastrous fire if the conditions are favorable. To avoid the possibility of the carbureter flooding it is of course, only necessary to remember ito turn the cock in the gasoline supply pipe in the evening or at other times when the car is to be left standing for some time.
 Source of Danger
 "NO Smoking" Signs
 The "No Smoking" signs posted in all the well conducted public garages are not the result of the owners dislike to the use or odor of tobacco, nor because the burning tobacco Is necessarily dan- gerous, but because tobacco, like other substances, must be raised to it's kin ling temperature before 1t will burn. The usual method of doing this is by applying a flame from a watch or oth- CT source. Unfortunately, 1t is inevit- able-inescapab b,e--that the flame which lights the tobacco will also ignite a mixture of gasoline vapor and air. This is a certainty. It happens every time. When 1t doesn't happen 1t Is because no such mixture Is present in the imme- diate vicinity of the flame.
 Another source of danger which sometimes is unsuspected arises from the position of the gasoline tank on the car. If this Is placed across the body under the front or rear seat. with the filling vent at or near either. end, the tank should never be filled quite full or if it is, the driver should not allow the car to stand inclined at an angle toward the side on which the vent is placed or on a steep down grade until after the car has been driven long enough to consume suffl- cient fuel to lower the level in the tank. Otherwise the gasoline may easily overflow and under favorable condi- tions become ignited.
 Doesn't ExtInEuish
 In view of the fact that water will not extinguish burning gasoline or otl,- or burning oils, but will. If thrown upon them, merely spread them, thus giving ! them greater power to cause damage t is obvious that water should not