oct. — dec. 1857.] Mode of protecting Timber from Fire. 131 



only to a slight extent seized permanent hold of the corner, in 

 three places. 



1st. At the bottom where two planks overlapped : the fire was 

 soon extinguished spontaneously at this point. 



2nd. About half-way up the corner between the back of the 

 quartering and the weather-boarding, where the fire continued to 

 smoulder on, consuming the unprepared portion of the wood in 

 that spot. 



3rd. In the upper corner, immediately under the roofing. At 

 this spot, there was necessarily a considerable portion of wood (the 

 backs of the joists, wall plates, and planking) which could not be 

 reached by the preparation, and which therefore served as a hold 

 for the fire. 



It was interesting to observe how in this, as in the experiment 

 first detailed, the fire slowly crept along those small portions of 

 wood which had escaped preparation, in the protected corners 

 (i. e., the overlapping edges of the weather-boarding, and the 

 backs of the quarterings) ; while the prepared surfaces of wood ex- 

 hibited no tendency to carry the fire along, and were only con- 

 sumed when in contact with other burning matter, or when sur- 

 rounded for a length of time by flame from unprotected portions 

 of the wood. 



Although, at the expiration of about three hours, portions of the 

 two opposite corners of the hut were still burning ; and frequent 

 gusts of wind served to fan the fire, it was found that the hut 

 could be left, without fear of the fire spreading so as to become 

 unmanageable. 



Upon our returning to the hut, after the lapse of about half an 

 hour, the fire was still found smouldering here and there in both 

 corners, having extended very little farther along the unprotected 

 portions of the wood, as above described, particularly between 

 three of the joists, and in the corner immediately under the roofing. 



The effects of the fire were watched for a short time longer, 

 and the few burning places in the prepared corners were then 

 extinguished by the application of a little water from a mop, 



