5U4 F I 
where the fire is firft begun, or at any other period when 
deemed ufeful ; at other times the engine is ufed with 
the ufual nofe-pipe. The next figures difplay in per 
fpective all the parts which compofe the pump or hy¬ 
draulic part of the engine, in its improved ftate. "Fig. 6, 
reprefents the internal part of the cylinder, in which the 
ait of pumping is performed ; having a Ranch at each 
end furnifhed witii female fcrew holes, into which are 
fcrewed the two caps.or ends of the cylinder. Fig. 7, is 
the axis, which is armed with two wings or fans, in each 
of which is a valve for the admifiion of the water through 
them ; all round the external edge of thefe wings is 
fcrewed a narrow plate, under which is leather, to render 
the wings or fans, which move againft the interior furface 
of the cylinder, water-proof. Fig. 8, is a partition, the 
lower edge of which is joined to the cylinder, as fhewn 
at b in fig. 6, and at C in fig. 9; and the upper edge is 
made fo as to exactly fit the circle of the axis. In the 
upper edge of this partition is a groove, as at b ; when 
the axis is fixed in its place, this groove is filled with 
junk, or fome other foft material, io as to prefs on the 
axis, and canfe it to move water-tight; this partition alfo 
divides the lower part of the cylinder, next the fudtion, 
into two compartments, in which, on each fide the par¬ 
tition, is cut, in the cylinder, an aperture which opens 
to the faction-pipe at G, in fig. 9. Thefe apertures are 
opened and Ihut by two valves, as reprefented in fig. 9 ; 
which drawing, at DD, (hews the collecting difpofition 
of all the interior parts of the cylinder when put toge¬ 
ther. Fig. 10, reprefents a circular plate, one of which 
fits into a rabbet in each end of the cylinder, through 
which plate the axis, fig. 7, pafles in a (luffing box, at L, 
fig. 10, which caules it to move water-tight. In each 
plate there is a (lit, as at M, which, receiving each end 
of the partition, fig, 8, makes it firong ; and when the 
cap, fig. ti, is fcrewed down to the flanch at each end of 
the cylinder, with a leather between it and the plate, 
fig. 10, the whole is rendered entirely water-proof. Fig. 
1 a, is the nut of the (luffing box L, fig. 10; which, being 
fcrewed down upon the (luffing, fecures the engine for 
immediate life. 
FIRE-ESCAPE, a contrivance for the purpofe of ref- 
cuing perfons from houfes on fire. Nothing can be more 
interefting to humanity, than the invention of machines 
calculated to Cave unfortunate beings thus threatened 
wit’n definition by the fiery element. The following is a 
defcription of fome machines for that purpofe, lent to the 
Lyceum of Arts in Paris, in 1802, that the commiffion 
appointed to examine them might afcertain which of them 
promifed to anfwer bed the public expectation.—The 
firfi, which is railed by means of fnnple parallelograms, 
fupports, at its upper extremity, a pulley, into which 
palfes a cord, whereby men, (tationed on the carriage, 
raife and lower a balket intended to receive the perfons 
who are in danger; but the author has not conlidered, 
that when this balket is charged, fucli a weight at the 
extremity of the parallelograms would be too great, and 
would infallibly break them : befides, when thus fuf- 
pended, it Would be impoffible to bring off the (ick and 
infirm. 
The fecond machine confifis of a vehicle on four wheels; 
on planks acrofs it are fixed the two firfi uprights, to 
which is attached a jointed ladder, in an inclined pofi- 
tion; and which is folded together when the machine is 
removed. Two other uprights, placed about two-thirds 
of the length of the vehicle, hold a grooved frame, in a 
vertical pofition, intended to fupport. the ladders, when 
unfolded at their length, from the front to the hind-part 
of the carriage; being in length twenty yards, and in¬ 
clined forty-five degrees; fo that in this pofition they rife 
in vertical height about forty feet. To the top of the 1 a ft 
ladder is fixed a platform, for the purpofe of receiving 
the fufferers. But this platform, when charged, would 
break the ladder if it had not fome fupport; for this 
purpofe the inventor has ingenioully‘contrived a framing, 
R E. 
that rifes vertically up to the platform. This framing 
ftands on grooved planks, that crofs the back part of the 
carriage, in fuch a manner, that, if the ladders are un¬ 
folded only in part, the framing rifes more horizontally 
in proportion, to - fupport the platform. Along this in¬ 
clined ladder mounts a bafket or box, by means'of a cord 
that paffes into a pulley attached to the top of the plat¬ 
form. This cord is pulled by men, fiationed in the body 
of the vehicle. The cheft or box, Aiding the whole 
length of the ladder, is calculated to afford a facility of 
efcupe to the unfortunate perfons, whofe ftrength on thefe 
occafions cannot be depended on. The principal defeft 
of this machine is that of unfolding the ladder-, by means 
of cords, that are fo liable to be entangled, and which, in 
moments fo urgent as thofe of a fire, might be attended 
vvitli the mod melancholy confequences. 
The third machine is conftrudted in a waggon, of com¬ 
mon width, four metres in length. From the middle of 
it rife two uprights, four yards in height, and firmly 
fixed; their top fupports an axis. A frame, turning on 
this axis, is placed horizontally when the machine is re¬ 
moved, and vertically for actual ufe. Along it are folded 
two other frames, which, when extended in a vertical 
pofition, rife to the height of about fifty feet, a height 
fufficient to reach the loftieft pans of houfes. The parts 
of this framing are extended, by means of two cords, with 
pulleys, each of them being pulled by one man; in the 
fides of this framing are placed two hooks, by which it is 
fixed at the height required. The top fupports a plat¬ 
form, which is firmly fattened to it; but as the frame 
rifes to fuch a great height, the platform, when charged, 
would, from its unfteadinefs, be extremely dangerous, 
had not the inventor adopted two ftrong brafs wires be¬ 
hind, and two others in the front of this platform. The 
two firft run in a parallel direction to a capftan, placed in 
the back part of the waggon, and the two others to a 
capftan in the front ; by means of which the requifite 
tendon is given to the cords, and they firmly keep the 
framing vertical, in the fame manner as the (lirouds of a 
(hip fecure the mads in their pofition. Thefe brafs wires 
are very-ftrong, and give the neceffary fecurity to the 
platform, which will thus carry feveral perfons without 
any danger of tottering; it may even be relied upon, that 
it is kept in its pofition as fteadily as it could be by wood¬ 
work. But thefe brafs wires ferve for another purpofe ; 
they are intended for the cherts or vehicles to Aide down 
from the top of the platform to the bottom of the wag¬ 
gon, and afcend in the fame manner by means of cords 
that pafs two pulleys, adapted to the platform ; the cord 
of the cheft belonging to the rear of the waggon is pulled 
by a capftan, fixed in the bottom of the waggon, and ano-- 
ther by a wheel, which ferves to regulate the velocity in 
defcending. 
This cheft, raifed to the platform, is particularly in¬ 
tended to receive the unfortunate people ready to perifh 
in the flames, the women, the children, and the infirm, 
who are to be placed on fteps made in the cheft, which 
will defcend down the brafs wires, in an inclined plane, 
without fvving or (hock : when landed at the bottom of 
the waggon, it is opened before, and every affiftance 
given to the fufferers. The fecond cheft, which is in the 
front of the waggon, is raifed in the fame manner to the 
top of the platform by means of a cord that paffes into a 
pulley, adapted to the faid cheft; which cord is to be 
pulled by one or two men. This cheft is for railing up 
to the platform the perfons employed on the occafion ; it 
may likewife be ufed in any exigence for the fame pur¬ 
pofe as the firft. Thefe cherts have rails to affift in de¬ 
fcending into the infide, and hold two or three perfons : 
each of them is provided with four ftrong iron (taples, 
through which pafs the brafs wires, thus keeping them 
perfePtly fteady in their courfe. 
The platform has parapets, which fit to it according 
to whichever fide it is neceffary to place the te.iuporary 
bridge, thrown acrofs to the window of the houfe that is 
1 oa 
