ON PREVENTING OR SUPPRESSING FiaES. , \^ 



XI. 



Plan for Preventing or Suppressing Fires. In a Let ttr from 

 a Correspondent. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



T, 



HE destructive fires, that have recently taken place in Watchmen to 

 London, have induced me to compress a few ideas on the prevent fires. 

 subject of watching public buildings, which have arisen 

 from a desire t o form a plan of safety for a building in which 

 1 am myself interested. I shall confine these observations 

 to the prevention or suppression of fire, in such a theatre N 



as that lately in Drury Lane, or Covent G»rden ; and, if 

 they are calculated for a place in year valuable Journal, 

 they are at your service. 



Let it be supposed, that such a building is directed to Method of «*> 

 be nominally divided into convenient sections, each capable s «» n g th«irvi- 

 of being and actually attended to by one watchman. A 

 small chamber, or any other space, in addition to and dis- 

 tinct from these, in a proper situation, shall be occupied 

 by a person to direct or check these watchmen. The direc- 

 tion may be exercised ordinarily without leaving this cham- 

 ber, in the following manner. Let there be one clock for 

 each watchman, of a certain construction (which is at pre- 

 sent partially in use, and proved to accomplish purposes 

 similar to the object of the present paper) fixed in the 

 chamber of the director of the watchmen ; each clock com- 

 municating with the section of its proper watchman by 

 cranks and wires, or otherwise, in such a manner, that by 

 pulling the wire he shall be able to effect a visible alteration 

 on the clock at r precise moment, as agreed upon, conform- 

 ably with the construction of the clock, but not at any 

 other moment. This clock shows the usual division of time, 

 and has also a revolving frame in which pins are placed in 

 sockets capable of being pressed down at particular times 

 only, as above stated. Thus, by the use of this clock, a 

 watchman's vigilance or neglect may be proved by the evi- 

 dence of the clock itself, ( 



Suppose, 



