The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-08-02

building is an ugly customer to handle.
It is difficult to locate and harder to
get at. When you have once definitely
located the base of the fire, you have
won half the battle. The fire can then
be fought from below or above, or
both. as the circumstances and the
geography of the building may sug-
gest. Don't throw water against the
wall and thereby food the building,
but go right after the fire itself. Cut
a hole in the wall either above OR be-
low the base of the fire and put water
to the flames in steady stream, and
everything will soon be in shape for
the insurance adjuster TO come around
with his smile or his frown as the oc-
casion demands. In all events, there
will be but little water damage to be
paid for or reckoned with.
The water damage is necessarily
greater when the base of the fire is
located in the ceiling. That is one
time when there is obliged to be more
or less damage caused from water.
It is understood that there are hun
dreds of gallons of water thrown at a
fire that do not actually hit the flames,
and that water has to 80 somewhere.
In this instance, the water flows
through the ceiling to the floor beneath
and generally causes considerable
damage to the contents of the build
ing. All you can do in case of this
kind is to minimize the damage by not
throwing any more water than is ac-
tually necessary to extinguish the
flames. When you have put out the
fire, cut off the water.
No fire department can do good and
efficient service unless it is equipped
with the best and modern apparatus
for fighting fire. Loyalty. enthusiasm
and ability in fireman can count but
little when he has to fight fire with an
inadequate water supply, rotten hose
and imperfect nozzles. a town that is
so penny wise and pound foolish" as
to attempt to economic ON its fire de-
partment sooner or later pays dearly
for it's mistake. A fire department is
| like a Texans pistol, he doesn't need
it often, but when he does he needs a
good one and needs it quick. Most of
the towns in this State that have up-to-
date fire departments have been taught
that lesson and have paid the price.
A department that is equipped with
modern apparatus can and will reduce
the water damage" to such an extent
that the amount saved would pay for
the equipment in few years.
Another way to help reduce water
damage is to keep outsiders out and
away from the building so that they
will not interfere with the work of the
fremen. When a fire occurs in small
town, the firemen are almost run over
by the crowd and are prevented from
doing the efficient work they could 9TH
erwise do. When the pipe-men are
pushed and showed about by the crowd,
it is physical impossibility for them
to put the water where tney ought to
put it and the damage FROM water is
increased to that extent.
In case you reach a FIRE in its in
fancy, such as an explosion of a lamp,
or a small fire ina store, it is best to
use a chemical extinguisher or small
nozzle, size about 3-S of an inch.
Nozzles of this size are made in con-
nection with the regular shut-of noz-
zles and either can be used independ-
emily of the other. By that means a
confagration can be effectively pre-
vented with little or no water damage.
| These suggestions are grounded on the
supposition that you have reached the
scene of the fire before it has gained
much headway Of course. if you reach
a building when it is on fire from Gel
lar to roof, there is nothing to do but
to sail in with gloves of, regardless of
water damage" or anything else, ex-
cept to extinguish the flames and keep
the fire from spreading TO adjacent
buildings.
The duty of a fireman is two-fold,
viz: to protect property and to save
lives that may be imperiled. His aim