FROM HOUSES ON FIRE. 14.7 



petent. If the rope is drawn by hands, this arm mufl 

 ilill, for the fake of convenient carriage, be much fhorter 

 than the other ; and accidents of mifmanagement might 

 happen, which the fixed rope prevents : it is prudent 

 to entruft the machine with all the powers it can exercife ,- 

 efpecially as it mull be ufed on the difmal occaiion of 

 nocturnal incends. 



In confiderable towns the houfes ditTer fo much in 

 height, that machines of two fizes are neceflary. The 

 larger fhould be competent for the third or fourth ftories 

 in the higheft buildings, according to their dimenfions, and 

 the pracflicable fize of the three pieces ; and the fmaller for 

 thofe in the lowefi:. As both have feveral degrees of eleva- 

 tion, they w'ill alio fuit inferior flories refpedively, and thus 

 take in all the different heights. The bafket mufl afcend fo 

 near beneath the window, that the perfons may, without 

 fear, get in, and defcend fo low that they may get out. 

 For the lafl the arm cannot be long enough, when great 

 altitudes demand very high fhafts ; then a rope ladder 

 may be faxed on the bafket, and let down when the ma- 

 chine ftops ; ten feet from the ground, if neceffaiy. As 

 the dimenfions of the lever and fliaft of large machines 

 demand great folidity, their weight will bear a confide- 

 rable proportion of the whole that is wound up. One or 

 two perfons the more in the bafket would proportionally 

 lefs increafe the whole. Their bafes will alfo be wide 

 enough for two men at each of the four cranks. The 

 fmaller machines mufl: fupport the weight of four full- 

 grown perfons, as the fire may prevent a fecond going 

 up. Their bafes are to be fitted for narrow alleys, and 

 crouded places. 



Much property might be faved from the fire by 

 machines of a fimilar conflrudtion with this, having a 

 capacious bafket, and capflans inflead of windlaffes. The 



combination 



