116 TEAR-EOOK OF FACT3. 



together, or according to the following proportions — twenty- five 

 pounds of sugar of lead, fifteen pounds of litharge, and forty gallons 

 of water, for about half an hour, allowing to stand for about a couple 

 of hours ; the decanted clear solution forms a liquor well adapted to 

 my said purpose. When I want to use the liquor so prepared, and 

 which, in the present instance, is a solution of basic acetate of lead, 

 T take such a quantity of it as will be at least sufficient to cover 

 completely the fabric or material which I intend to render unin- 

 flammable ; or else the said fabric or material may in many cases be 

 simply passed through the said liquid, raised to nearly the boiling 

 point ; the object being simply to saturate or impregnate it thoroughly 

 with the said liquor. This having been done, the fabric or material 

 so saturated or impregnated with the said liquor is to be removed, 

 and spread out for about twelve hours to the contact of the air. This 

 hanging or spreading out of the fabric or material to the air may be 

 dispensed with ; but I prefer to do so, the subsequent operation now 

 to be described yielding then a better result. The material or fabric, 

 after having been subjected to the first operation just described, 

 should now be immersed for a period of from one to two hours, or 

 thereabouts, into a hot and moderately strong solution of an alkaline 

 sHicate, by preference in silicate of soda. The material or fabric 

 should then be withdrawn from the said batli of alkaline silicate, 

 allowed to drain, washed thoroughly in soft water, and dried, when 

 it will be found to have acquired the properties claimed for it." — 

 Mechanics Magazine. 



raw l'ATE.VT FIRE-ESCAPE. 



Dr. R. Gardiner Hill, of Inverness Lodge, Brentford, has in- 

 troduced a Fire-Escape which consists of a rectangular framing of 

 wood, bound together by means of tie rods. The bottom part of 

 this frame is formed of a lattice- work of thin iron. One side of the 

 frame is made with a half door, to afford facility for getting out of 

 the escape. The frame is covered at the bottom and round the 

 sides with non -inflammable canvas. A ring is securely fastened to 

 the floor or window-sill of the house, and to this ring is simply 

 hooked the end of a chain carrying a block through which the tackle 

 of the escape is rove. The whole of the tackle and block are kept 

 inside tin- frame when the escape is not in use, the hooking of the 

 block-chain to the ring being the only thing to be done when the 

 escape is required to be brought into use. The lowering rope is 

 thrown to the persona below, or the occupant of the escape may lower 

 himself by its means. The escape is then hauled op to bringdown 

 other persons, or for removing property from tin- upper part of a 

 dwelling. Tin- frame of the escape i^ fitted with castors on the 



inner side, and win n not in use it stands BOOB them, and i< DOVered 



with an ornamental drapery, which converts the escape into a con- 

 venient ottoman. It can be used also as a dressing- table ; for 



which purpOM it is placed on its side, and fitted with a louse deal 



t < . j > and muslin hangings in place of the cushion. In this was the 



ti tape may at all times be kept near the window, from whence it 



would be used it required. — UuiUkr. 



