658 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The advance which has been made during the last twenty years in 

 all appliances connected with the art of extinguishing fires has done 

 much to limit or rather localize the dangers of such catastrophes ; for, 

 whereas in the old days the lumbering " parish squirt " was the only 

 means of defense, we have now in all large towns steam fire-engines 

 capable of throwing an immense stream of water with force enough to 

 reach the topmost floors of very high buildings. The aforesaid " squirt '' 

 was capable of little more than wetting the outside of contiguous 

 buildings, with a view to prevent the spread of the original fire, which 

 generally burned itself out. But now our engines furnish a power 

 which will often smother a large fire in the course of half an hour or 

 less. Moreover, our well-organized fire brigades are trained to convev 

 the hose to the nucleus of the flames, and much heroism is shown in the 

 carrying out of this dangerous duty. 



And now for a few simple precautions. 



Let some member of the family visit every portion of the house be- 

 fore it is shut up for the night. (While he is seeing to the safety of the 

 fires and lights, he can also give an eye to belts and bars, and thus ful- 

 fill another most necessary precaution.) See that there is no glimmer- 

 ing of light beneath the bedroom doors for any unreasonable time after 

 the inmates have retired to rest. Insist on ascertaining the cause of 

 any smell of burning. It may be only a piece of rag safely smoldering 

 in a grate, but satisfy yourself upon the point without delay. Do not 

 rake out a fire at night, but allow it to burn itself out in the grate. (We 

 have already referred to the danger of hearthstones set upon timber.) 

 Do not allow an unused fireplace to be closed up with a screen unless it 

 is first ascertained that there is no collection of soot in the chimney, and 

 no communication with any other flue from which a spark may come. 

 Caution servants not to throw hot ashes into the dust-bin. Let the 

 slightest escape of gas be remedied as soon as possible, and remember 

 that the common form of telescope gasalier requires water at certain in- 

 tervals, or it will become a source of danger. Finally, forbid all kinds 

 of petroleum and benzoline lamps to be trimmed except by daylight, 

 (A lamp was the initial cause of the great Chicago fire.) 



Many other precautions will suggest themselves to the careful house- 

 keeper. But, after all, the best precaution is common sense, which, 

 however, is the least available, being the misnomer for a faculty which 

 is far from common. — Chambers's Journal. 



