134 



Selections. 



[NO. 5, NEW SERIES, 



1st. To shield the substances of the wood itself in a great 

 degree from the effects of neighbouring fire, or of the vapours which 

 will issue from over-heated wood, and burn on its surface, and.— 



2nd. To deprive the wood to a considerable extent, of the 

 power of carrying the fire along, thus rendering necessary the con- 

 tinned application of heat or fire from another source (such as an 

 over-heated stove or unprotected portions of wood) in order to 

 effect its thorough ignition. 



An examination of the experiments just described will show that 

 these results are obtained by the application of the silicate of soda 

 to the wood. This substance may be obtained in any quantity at a 

 very reasonable rate and the method of applying it is so simple, that 

 the wood may be properly prepared with it by ordinary workmen. 



It appears to us important that, if its application to new Camp 

 huts should be determined upon, the wood to be employed in their 

 structure should be completely coated with the preparation, before 

 the erection of the buildings, in order to give the latter a fair chance 

 of resisting the action of fire, reaching the wood from any quarter. 



But even in buildings already erected, it is of importance that those 

 portions which are in any way liable to possible exposure to heat 

 or fire {e. g. the portions in the vicinity of stoves), should receive 

 the very considerable protection which would be afforded by the 

 application of the silicate coating, any covering of paint or paper 

 having first been removed. 



We beg to give it as our opinion that the efficiency of the protec- 

 tive agent in question has been sufficiently tested to obviate the 

 necessity of further trials upon a large scale, and submit, in con- 

 clusion, that while the extensive employment of light wooden build- 

 ings for huts and temporary workshops, renders the application of 

 some protective material to the interior of these, at any rate, a 

 matter of great importance, it is of equal consequence that such an 

 agent, if adopted for use in the service, should be easy of applica- 

 tion and inexpensive, and that its employment should be as com- 

 pletely under the control of Government as that of any ordinary 

 coating material. 



