METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING FIRE. J05 



inilantly reduced to fleam, which, riling from the furface of 

 the burning body, prevents the contact of the atmofpheric air, 

 and by that means puts out the flame, which cannot appear 

 again while the production of the fleam is continued. 



According to thefe experiments, it appears that the art of Inftru&lons 

 extinguishing a violent fire with a fmall quantity of water, con- f™™^ °J e ^ 

 lifts in this : that the water be thrown on that part of the fire 

 which is the moft violent ; fo that the quantity of fleam pro- 

 duced, which fupprefles the flame, may be the greatefl poflible : 

 that water be continued to be thrown on the neigbouring in- 

 flamed parts, as foon as the fire has ceafed in that on which the 

 operation was began, and that all the burning parts be vifited 

 in this way as quickly as poflible. By thus following the flames 

 regularly with flreams of water, they may be every where fup- 

 prefled before the part on which the operation was began, fhall 

 have entirely loft by evaporation the water with which it was 

 moiftened : this is often neceflary to prevent the parts from 

 breaking out afrefh ; for, on the principle above-mentioned, a 

 burning body, of which the flames are fupprefled, cannot 

 be again in flames until the water thrown on it be totally eva- v 

 porated. 



Being convinced by thefe experiments, that a fmall quan- Experiment on a 

 tity of water is fufficient to extinguifh ordinary fires, efpecially lar S cr fcal «« 

 in an early flage. I have endeavoured to produce the fame 

 conviction among my fellow-citizens, by repeating the expe- 

 riments I have defcribed, and have advifed them to provide 

 themfelves with fmall portable pumps for their ufe in cafe of 

 neceffity. Many immediately followed my advice, and their 

 good effecl being proved, the number has gradually increafed in 

 feveral towns in Holland, efpecially after an experiment which 

 I made in this place in May, 1797, to fhew, on a larger fcale, 

 the advantages to be derived from a well-regulated direction 

 of flreams of water, in the extinguifliing even the mofl violent 

 fires, and with very fmall quantities of water, where portable 

 pumps are ufed. 



The following is the experiment : 



I prepared a (hell of dry wood, forming a room of 24 feet A wooden edi- 

 long, 23 feet wide, and fourteen feet high, having two doors fic< ! fet . on **f 

 on one fide, and two windows on the other ; this box, provided ed. 

 with the wood- work of a roof, was uncovered above, and its par- 

 tition raifed fix inches from the ground ; fo that, having a cur- 

 rent 



