(114 Protection of Persons from Fire. 
tinue more than a few moments, from the activity which the fireman 
must necessarily exert. : 
Note to Chap. V Uf.—In this note, the author states his belief that 
amianthus (which he is aware may in most places be too scarce and 
dear) is not indispensable to the preparation of good armor. Wool 
rendered difficult of combustion by a chemical preparation, may be 
used as a substitute. In this case, white stuff or blankets are preler- 
able, as being worse conductors than stuff dyed by some conducting 
material. At Paris, the men equipped in dresses of prepared wool, 
resisted the fire as well as those in amianthus. Itis possible that im 
time the metallic gauze may be dispensed with, but the author thinks 
that until some further discoveries are made, an external covering of 
this material will remain highly important in extensive fires. i 
properties are unchangeable and well known. Prepared woollen 
stuffs have not been very long tried. In Italy they have been used 
for two years, without any sensible deterioration. ‘They must be 
carefully preserved from moisture, which would eause the wool 1 
rot, and the iron to rust. 
Tt is important that the dress be made as much as possible of one 
piece, for the heat penetrates at every crevice. ‘The form given 
the plates is that which has been found best. ue 
The Aprenpix contains four official Reports on the plans of the 
Chevalier Aldini, for the preservation of the body from flame. 
The first is that of Professsor Maurice on the experiments made 
at Geneva. A summary of these experiments was given in our last 
volume, page 177. They were very similar to those performed 
Ttaly, and already described in Chap. IX. 
e second is a report made to the Academy of Sciences at Pats 
by Gay-Lussac. The experiments here detailed, were cbiefly* 
repetition of those before described. One of the firemen carried? 
child eight years old in an osier basket covered exteriorly with a m& 
tallic tissue, while the child had only a mask of incombustible stu 
he spectators witnessed this experiment with fright, but the result 
was very satisfactory. 
The reporter states that M. D’Arcet and himself had proved, by 
a great number of experiments, that whenever an oven sufticient!y 
_ heated emits smoke or flame, the air within this oven is entirely de- 
prived of oxygen. It is therefore certain, he adds, that in flame, € 
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