FIRE. 



with great rapidity, on account of the vast 

 space it travelled -over in a short time. 

 In other places its appearance was very 

 different At Greenwich, we are told, 

 that two bright balls parallel to each other 

 led the way, the diameter of which ap- 

 peared to be about two feet ; and were 

 followed by an explosion of eight others, 

 not elliptical, seeming gradually to muti- 

 late, for the last was small. Between 

 each two balls a luminous serrated body 

 extended, and at the last a blaze issued, 

 which terminated in a point. Minute par- 

 ticles dilated 'rom the whole. The balls 

 were tinted first by a pure bright light, 

 then followed a tender yellow, mixed 

 with azure, red, green, &c ; which, with 

 a coalition of bolder tints, and a reflec- 

 tion from the other balls, gave the most 

 beautiful rotundity and variation of co- 

 lours that the human eye could be charm- 

 ed with. The sudden illumination of 

 the atmosphere, and the form and singu- 

 lar transition of this bright luminary, tend- 

 ed much to make it awful : nevertheless, 

 the amazing vivid appearance of the dif- 

 ferent balls, and other rich connective 

 parts not very easy to delineate, gave an 

 effect equal to the rainbow in the full 

 zenith of its glory. 



FIRE, extinguishing of. The world has 

 long been of an opinion, that a more rea- 

 dy way than that in general use might 

 be found for extinguishing fires in build- 

 Ings : and it has been generally attempt- 

 ed upon the doctrine of explosion, Za- 

 chary Greyl was the first person who put 

 this plan into execution with any tolera- 

 ble degree of success. He contrived cer- 

 tain engines, easily manageable, which he 

 proved, before some persons of the first 

 rank, to be of sufficient efficacy, and of- 

 fered to discover the secret by which they 

 were contrived for a large premium, 

 given either from the crown, or raised by 

 a subscription of private persons. But 

 the scheme meeting with no better suc- 

 cess than things of this nature usually 

 do, he died without making the disco- 

 very. Two years after this, the person 

 who had his papers found the method, 

 and it was shown before the King of Po- 

 land and a great concourse of nobility at 

 Dresden, and the secret purchased at a 

 very considerable price. Afterwards, the 

 same person carried the invention to 

 Paris, and many other places, and prac- 

 tised it every where with success. The 

 secret was. this: A wooden vessel was 

 provided, holding a very considerable 

 quantity of water : in the centre of this 

 was fixed a case made of iron plates, and 

 filled with gun-powder ; from this vessel 



to the head of the larger vessels contain- 

 ing the water, there was conveyed a tube 

 or pipe, which might convey the fire very 

 readily through the water to the gun- 

 powder contained in the inner vessel. 

 This tube was filled with a preparation 

 easily taking fire, and quickly burning 

 away ; and the manner of using the thing 

 was, to convey it into the room or build- 

 ing where the fire was, with the powder 

 in the tube lighted. The consequence of 

 this was, that the powder in the inner 

 case soon took fire, and with a great ex- 

 plosion burst the vessel to pieces, and 

 dispersed the water every way : thus was 

 the fire put out in an instant, though the 

 room was flaming before in all parts at 

 once. The advantage of this invention 

 was, that, at a small expense, and with 

 the help of a few people, a fire in its be- 

 ginning might be extinguished ; but the 

 thing was not so general as it was at first 

 expected that it would prove, for though 

 of certain efficacy in a chamber or close 

 building, where a fire had but newly be- 

 gun, yet when the mischief has increased 

 so far that the house was fallen in, or the 

 top open, the machine had no effect. 



FIRE in chimneys, method of extinguish" 

 ing. It is well known, that the inner 

 parts of chimneys easily take fire ; the 

 soot that kindles therein emits a greater 

 flame, according as the tunnel is more 

 elevated, because the current of air feeds 

 the fire. If this current could therefore 

 be suppressed, the five would soon be ex- 

 tinguished. In order to this, some dis- 

 charge a pistol into the chimney, which 

 produces no effect. Water thrown into 

 the chimney at the top is equally useless, 

 because it comes down through the mid- 

 dle of the tunnel, and not along the sides. 

 It would be more advisable to stop, with 

 a wet blanket, the upper orifice of the 

 tunnel ; but the surest and readiest me- 

 thod is, to apply the blanket either to the 

 throat of the chimney, or over the whole 

 front of the fire-place. If there happens 

 to be a chimney-board or a register, no- 

 thing can be so effectual as to apply them 

 immediately ; and having by that means 

 stopped the draught of air from below, 

 the burning soot will be put out as readily 

 and as completely as a candle is put out 

 by an extinguisher, which acts exactly 

 upon the same principle. Mr. Smart's 

 machine for sweeping chimneys is ad- 

 mirably adapted to extinguish those that 

 are on fire. See 



FinE, securing buildings against. Dr. 

 Hales proposes to check the progress of 

 fires by covering the floors of the adjoin- 



