150 PREVENTION AND EXTINGUISHMENT OF FIRES. 



above described ; which brings us to the second point in the consideration 

 of the prevention of conflagrations, viz: 



II. The use of fire-proof coatings upon the oombustible portions of our 

 buildings. 



As you are well aware, the great majority of buildings erected all over 

 the country are at least finished with pine lumber saturated with turpentine 

 and resin, and which is afterward rendered still more inflammable by cover- 

 ings of paint, composed of oils, turpentine, naptha and other ingredients 

 of like character,- while very many are constructed wholly, from roof to 

 foundation, of such materials, and hence offer an attraction rather than 

 an^^ resistance to the flames. It is to this class of structures that my re- 

 marks chiefly apply, because they are the most numerous and probably al- 

 ways will be. They belong to a class of citizens who must build cheap 

 houses, and who can least afl'ord to lose them. They contain within them- 

 selves all of the essentials and very few of the obstructions to combustion ; 

 and finally, they are more liable to communicate the flames to adjoining 

 buildings. 



Numerous fire-proof paints have been prepared, and many patented ; 

 very few, however, have come into general use, owing in some cases to the 

 fact that they were not preservers of wood as "well as protectors against fire, 

 and in others to the fact that they could not be applied in tasteful colors suit- 

 able for the inside finish of dwellings and stores. Among those presenting 

 the best indications of accomplishing the objects desired are those composed 

 of " water glass," as it is called, being chemically a silicate of potash or soda 

 in a fluid state, which, being applied as any other paint, gives a hard, fire- 

 proof coating to the wood, and may be tinted or colored with any pigment 

 which is not acted upon by it. Several silicious paints have been proposed, 

 all of which depend for their base upon the "water glass," the other in- 

 gredients, such as ochre, clay, steatite, etc., being added only to give body 

 to the mixture. Paints of this kind have effectually protected wooden 

 buildings against fierce flames for twenty to thirty minutes — long enough to 

 give their inmates or the fire department ample time to apply competent 

 means of extinguishment, and showing that no ordinary heat, such as 

 might be thrown out by a red hot stove, a burning curtain, or even a gas 

 burner carelessly pushed against it would be liable to ignite a piece of wood- 

 work covered with them. Other paints are highly recommended, which 

 are composed essentially of biborate of soda or common borax. Mons. Pa- 

 tera recommends a mixture of equal parts of borax and epsom salts. Chlo- 

 ride of zinc, with oxide of zinc and cream of tartar mixed in starch to the 

 proper consistency gives a paint which is regarded as equal in every way 

 to any lead or zinc oil paint, besides rendering wood almost incombustible, 

 which quality is increased by the addition of a small amount of borax. 

 Another coating highly recommended as fire-proof is composed of a mix- 

 ture of one-third sulphate of ammonia and two-thirds sulphate of zinc; still 

 another is composed of a mixture of sulphate of alumina with sulphate of 



