OCT.— —dec. 1857.] Mode of protecting Timber from Fire. 119 



From F. A. Abel, Esq , Chemist of the War Department^ Wool- 

 wich, S. E '., 27th August 1857. 



I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 

 26th instant, informing me that the Court of Directors of the Ho- 

 norable East India Company have directed copies of my commu- 

 nication of 30th ultimo, and of printed directions to be enclosed to 

 the several Governments in India. 



With reference to the concluding paragraph of your letter re- 

 ferring to my statement as to the employment of silicate of soda in 

 China, I beg to observe that from the quantity sent out (15 tons) 

 and from the correspondence which I had at the time on the sub- 

 ject with the authorities at the War Office, there is no doubt that 

 the silicate and lime is to be used in China as the coating material 

 for the wooden erections required at the stations there, and has 

 not been sent out as a matter of experiment. 



Having heard that the great risk of fire arises from the thatch- 

 ing employed for the roofs of hut buildings in India, — I am anx- 

 ious to state for the information of the Directors and of the Go- 

 vernment of India, that the silicate of soda admits of very simple 

 application to the thatching as a protective material. 



The thatching would require soaking for a short time previous 

 to use in a solution of silicate, and the thatched roof when dry 

 should receive a thin coating of lime or clay stirred to a cream 

 with solution of silicate. 



It would probably be found advisable to renew the exterior coat- 

 ing of wash after the rainy season. 



I beg again to express my readiness to furnish every information 

 which, may be required on the subject. 



Remarks on the Protection of Wood from Fire. By F. A. Abel, 

 Esq., accompanied by a Report from Colonel Sandham, R. E. } and 

 himself. 



The attention of practical men has been for some years past di- 

 rected, from time to time, to the importance of affording to wooden 

 erections some degree of protection from the effects of fire ; and 



