Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-22
OF Hanks Fire ExtinQuisher
In Public Square.
II Works Like a Charm, Con-
quering FierCest Blaze.
A Big Crowd Witnesses Test and
Cheers the Inventor.

The large thrOng of spectators who
attended the exhibition of fire destruc-
ton by the Hanks fire eXtingusher in
Market square Saturday night had an
opportunity of seeing one of the most
remarkable demonstrations of fire an
Inhalation ever witnessed in this city
and We believe it is safe to say the
State of Maine. 1t was certainly an
eye opener to those who had not be-
| fore seen the Hanks in operation
and their enthusiasm was at fever
pitch.
At o'clock sharp, as previously an
nounced in the columns of the Journal,
truck team loaded with boxesa tar
barrels, hay, gasoline, coal oil and
other infiammable materials drew up
and was unloaded as nearly as possi-
BILE in the center of Market square No
/ time was lost in starting things going
and the gasoline and coal oil was what
appeared to be recklessly poured into
the dry boxes and barrels and match
applied. When the flames had entire
ly enveloped the boxes Mr.. Hanks
| confidently stepped up and tossing a
small handful of the chemical into the
midst of the sizzling furnace instantly
extinguished every vestige of flame.
He next turned his attention to the
tar barrel and after setting it entirely
on fire by the use of several quarts
of gasoline, rendering it so hot that
it was next to impossible to approach
it Mr.. Hanks. by shielding his face
with a hat which enabled him to get
within about five feet of the open end,
dashed a ridculously small amount of
the chemical as before and instantane-
| Gus darkness, that approached the un
| canny. superseded the glare of an in
slant before. The flames had vanished.
This feat provoked applause from
| every spectator.
This was followed by an immense
| fire that reached fully Is feet upwards
and sent out such a heat as to drive
| the spectators well back. The fire was
allowed to burn a while in order that
| it might get well hold of the dry pine
| boards and in the meantime Mr. Hanks
| invited any person among the hum
dreds present to devise some manner
| in which to extinguish the flames. but
| no one volunteering he undertook to
| explode the popular belief that sand,
| flour or salt were of any consequence
considerable volume of flame and
! dashed handful after handful of those
widely recommended representatives. in
to the flames without perceptible eff
| feet in fact the fire seemed to delight
at the contact of each handful and
reached up even higher than before.
At this stage, after turning a fresh
half gallon of oil into the center of
| the roaring mass Mr.. Hanks crept as
neQr as was safe to the fire and with
single handful of chemical obliterat-
ed every spark.
| His last test was to saturate pile
of hay with oil and allow it to get
thoroughly on fire when in the same
manner as before the flame was de-
stroyed by small handful of powder.
The demonstration was profound
success from every point of view and
stamps the Hanks eXtinguisher as
probably the greatest fire killer known
| to science. A well-knOwn man was
heard to say: Il have been an active
| fire fighter for 25 years and l have
never yet witnessed anything to be
compared with tonight's exhibition"
F. W. Hanks, who is the sole owner
| of he Hanks extinguishef. has recent
| lv been offered a large sum for his in
vention by Western corporations: he
states, however, that he has no idea
of selling, as he believes the citizens
of Maine are entitled to the benefits
afforded by the product of her inven-
for