102 Protection of Persons from Fire. 
3. That it be as light as possible, consistent with a proper degree 
of solidity. 
4. That the junctures be so free as to produce as little constraint 
as possible to the limbs. 
5. As flame commonly ascends, the openings which are unavoid- 
able should be made on the opposite side. : 
6. That the firemen govern their movements so as to present the 
least possible surface to the direct action of the flames. 
Cuap. IV.—On the buckler of wire gauze destined to ward off flame. 
To overcome the impetuosity of the flames, a buckler should be 
provided of an elliptical form, and of fine gauze, that it may be very 
light. The longer axis of the ellipse may be one and a half yards, 
and the shorter two and a half feet. It should be swelled in the 
middle so as to spread or divert the flames, which prevents it from 
becoming too intensely heated, and from its thinness it cools in a 
few moments, and does not prevent the fireman from seeing objects 
through it. Its longer axis should be thicker in the middle, to give 
strength to the handle which must be well fastened to it, and to the 
cross-bars which form its frame. The wire work should have a lit- 
tle play on the frame to prevent its warping. A ring should be at- 
tached to the handle, through which the arm might occasionally slip 
so as to leave the hand at liberty. This buckler may be strength- 
ened, if necessity requires it, by cross wires placed near each other. 
Besides those of large dimensions, smaller bucklers might be provid- 
ed, which would serve to arrest the flames through windows or other 
openings, and to protect the fireman who carries the engine pipe into 
the most difficult places. The author insists on the importance of 
this method of defence. 
To prevent the flames from rushing from one apartment to ai- 
other, through doors or windows, a buckler, in the form of a parallel- 
logram, may be made of double wire, with a small projection of @ 
metallic plate at each corner, with an opening for a nail, by which it 
could be easily fastened against the issue of the flame. 
A large sized buckler enables a fireman to ascend or descend 4 
stair case in flames, even in his ordinary dress. In cases of this 
kind, the precaution should be used of carrying a sponge in the 
mouth. This, the author states, is an important application of the 
buckler. 
