The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-18

be used on a gasoline fire. But 1t fre- quently happens that while the burning gasoline is rapidly consumed itself, it ignites other substances, such as wood, cloth, upholstery, etc. Under such cir cumstances water becomes effective af- ter the gasoline Cor oiD has been burned up, to prevent the spread of the flame. Each small garage should therefore have as part of its equipment several buckets constantly filled with water and kept in definite places also a bucket or two of clean, fine sand. The latter will, when thrown upon a small gasoline fire, smother 1t.
 But the best means of subduing such a fire Is by means of chemical fire ex- tinguishers. There are two classes of these on the market-the dry" extin- guisher, which consists of metal tube, tn ginc copper, about 36 inches long and or 21a inches in diaemeter, con taining dry, powdered ammonium acid Carnciiate also called ammonium bicar- bonate. These extinguishers after be- ing filled are hermetically sealed by having the top, through which a hook projects, soldered In carefully, but light ly. They are usually kept suspended from a stout nall or screw at any con venient point on a wall or door jamb If occasion arises for using them they are given sharp downward jerk which pulls off the top; the contents are then sprinkled generously on the incipient fire
 A Dry Powder
 The dry powder on being heated even slightly decomposes into ammonia, car bon dioxide and water vapor. These are gases which are not only non-combus- tible, but excellent extingulshers in that they surround the burning object and thus exclude the oxygen of the air. which Is one of the necessary factors in all combustion. They may be pur- chased in the market at from 50 cents to $3 each, depending upon the size If the owner prefers he can make one himself. if he has the ability to use soldering iron. If not, the local tin ner will make the tube and the chem ical, ammonium bicarbonate. which must be dry and finely powdered, can be purchased from or ordered through any reliable drug dealer.
 The best device. however. is the oth- CT type of chemical extinguisher, that which Is universally used and consist ing of a copper vessel holding three more gallons of water containing the proper amount of sodium bicarbon ate-baking soda-dissolved in 1t. The upper part of the vessel contains glass bottle partially filled with con- centrated suphuric acid, which does not come in contact with the soda solu- ton until at the moment when the ex- tinguisher Is to be used; 1t Is tn sn turned upside down. which causes the chemicals to be brought together. This results In the generation of large vol umes of carbon dioxide gas, which sat urates the water and forces 1t under great pressure out of the rubber hose attached to the extinguisher.
 Is Highly Carbonated
 As pointed out apove, water Is not tI,F ,fat, f,>R Rerht oline fire. but the water coming from this extinguisher Is highly charged with carbon dioxide--it Is essentially a carbonated water, such as Is served at soda fountains, minus the flavoring syrups. This renders it an effective extinguisher.
 Another excellent means of subduing a gasoline fire Is offered by the steel cylinders filled with carbon dixodie or carb onic acid, as 1t Is more properly called under great pressure. which the motorist often carries in his car or keeps in the garage for infiating tires. If the cylinder be taken out near the fire the gas turned on and the current of gas directed against the source Of the fire. satisfactory results will be ob- tained nearly every case One must be careful not to confuse "air bottles filled with carbon dioxide with "air bottles" filled with compressed air, which are also used for infiating tires. To use the latter in subduing an in cipient fire would be fatal mistake. A current of air directed against 1t would only increase the conflagratiou in the same manner that a strong wind aids in the burning of a building.