Protection of Persons from Fire, 107 



tains only a brief account of some of the mechanical contrivances 

 that have been proposed to rescue them from their peril ; such as 

 puUies, rope ladders, sliding baskets, jumping out of windows on ex- 

 tended sheets or elastic cushions, forcing pumps for supplying fresh 

 air to persons in danger of suffocation, fee. ; but in none of these in- 

 ventions is there any provision for enabling firemen to rush into the 

 flames, and endure the heat with impunity long enough to accom- 

 plish the important object of rescue and deliverance to those who are 

 unable to help themselves. 



Chap. IX. — ^ summary account of the 'principal experiments made 

 in Italy with the armatures and other apparatus. 



These experiments were commenced in 1827. They were wit- 

 nessed by a deputation of the municipality of the city of Milan ; and 

 agreeably to the proces-verhal, duly attested by the secretary, fire- 

 men were able to expose their hands, arms, feet, and even their 

 faces, to a burning fire of wood, without any painful constraint upon 

 respiration, or considerable augmentation of heat. The apparatus 

 consisted of gloves, caps and boots, as before described. 



In 1828 the experiments were extended, and in that year, both at 

 Milan and Pavia, firemen walked through the flames and smoke 

 leisurely, which in one case extended about eight yards long, rising 

 to the height of two to three yards. A cage was placed in the mid- 

 dle of the flames, and taken away a minute after, without injury to 

 the animals it contained. 



The author states that his illustrious colleague, the chevalier Scarpa, 

 examined his apparatus with great interest, and pointed out several 

 modifications of which he thought it susceptible. \ 



After these preparatives the chevalier Aldini exhibited, in the be- 

 ginning of June, 1828, before the viceroy of Loinbardy and the au- 

 thorities of Milan, his experiments with the apparatus, upon a large 

 scale in the barracks of St. Jerome, which had been assigned him 

 for the purpose. The firemen in their own simple dress, each with 

 a sponge in his mouth and defended by a buckler of double metallic 

 net work, ascended and descended a very narrow staircase, about 

 which a fire of straw had been kindled, many times without injury ; 

 others resisted for a long time fire and smoke in a close chamber; 

 and some in the complete armor walked many times over a grate 

 of hot iron two yards long, and a fireman carried on his back, a pre- 



