Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1933-03-02

read: Charles died April 20, 1847,
aged 20 years, IL months and 20,
days. Elizabeth his wife died Jan.
1, 1888. aged 65 years. AS yet
their story has not unfolGed Only
we find that Mr. McCarty sold some
land to the Mt. Carmel church
(To Be Continued)
The House Is On Fire
(By Thomas F. Dougherty)
Assistant Chief, New York Fire
Department
More laymen are killed by ignOr
ance of how to open door in a
building on fire than by virtually
any other factor in the fire problem.
The explanation is simple enough:
Heat always rises as far as it can
go--then it travels laterally along
the lines of least resistance. The
typical dwelling fire starts down.
stairs; in very short time it reach
es an open stairway; hot air, gas
and smoke swish up to the top
floor, accumulate there and then
crowd the hallway under rapidly
rising temperature and increasing
pressure. In due time somebody in
a bedroom detects an ominous odor
or a cracking sound. He jumps to
the door and jerks it open. And
the mass of witheringly hot air that
has been pent-up in the hall whips
through this welcome opening-and
the unsuspecting householder drops
in his tracks That air is heated to
400, 500 or even 1000 degrees
and one good breath of it is usually
enough. Men have been killed four,
five and even ten stories above the
actual flames-and in the most
graphic instance in my experience.
13 people were killed in one room
on the fourth floor Of tenement
house by fire that hadn't advanced
above the first floor.
Nobody who is safe behind bed
room door should forsake that pro-
lection until he has first made cer
tain that such course is feasible.
Put the palm of the hand on the
door panel before opening the door.
If the wood feels hot, it's too late.
The only chance left is the window,
and even if that be too high to- es
cape from, if the door is closed be,
hind you, you can call for help and
wait there until it comes. People
who do that are seldom ii ever trap
ped on the top floor. Those who are
picked up unconscious or dead near
the windows are those who first
open the door and then run to the
window, leaving the door wide open
behind them to the deadly wave of
heat that quickly floods the room.
II the door panel doesn't feel hot,
take the knob of the door in the
light hand, put the palm Of the left
hand across the crack and higher
than the head put one foot or knee
or hip against the door to facilitate
closing it against any possible pres
sure from the other side. and stand
as far to the left of the opening as
possible SO as to keep the face away
from the first inrush of fumes or
heat. For a left-handed door you
merely alter the position of the
body accordingly. Even if the wood
is not hot, there may be heat
enough outside in the hall to stag
ger you with it's first blast, or pres
sure enough to push the door wide
open the moment you pull it aJar.
If neither of these signs is in evil
dence, you can trust to the hall.
But shut the door behind you.
Children should learn that the
safest place in smoke-filed room
is close to the floor, for whatever
fresh air there is will be down
there. If you go through a house
that has had fire which was check
ed, in room after room you'll find
the wood charred and blackened for
a half-inch or inch around the up
per third of the doors and windows;
the middle third will be blistered or
blackened; the lower third will Of
ten show not the slightest sign OF
heat or fire and the paint won't
even be discolored. Consequently,
the individual who is moving about
in a burning building is safest on
all fours. Likewise on stairway
the safest place is close to the wall.
A wet cloth over the mouth and
nose will help breathing, if there is
time to obtain one. But remember
that the first rule of the fireman in
"hot spot" is never to breathe
deeply.
The most foolish thing people do
in fires is to waste precious time
trying to save personal belongings.
Seconds count more in a fire than in
any other activity. The place for
the householder is out on the street
and the sooner he gets there the.
better for everybody.
Fire never accepts ignorance as
an excuse. The only weapon against
it is knowledge backed by repeated
drills Children need these lessons
and they are never too young to
learn them.
Something like $500 people are
killed every year in this country by
fire. Forty percent of these fire
victims are children under ten
years of age. Sixty-two percent OF
the people who die in fires meet
death in their own homes.
Everybody grants the value of the
school fire drill. In a five story