September 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
467 
used by that body, or by strangers. Another layer of shavings 
was thrown over the tar tank, and, being lighted, two officers 
in the Gravesend force, aided by Mr. White, the superin¬ 
tendent, faced the devouring element, and, throwing in the 
vapour, subdued the conflagration almost as promptly as in 
the first trial. This also elicited much applause, the utter 
extinction of the smallest particle of burning ember ex¬ 
citing general surprise and admiration. 
“ The next experiment was upon the hold of a ship, a 
trial which attracted the special observation of the emi¬ 
gration commissioners and the many shipowners present. 
The hulk of an old vessel, named the Wear, was moored 
alongside the garden wall or quay, and in the forehold, 
measuring some 20 feet long, 17 feet wide, and fl feet 6 high, 
were stowed 12 sugar hogsheads, 3G resin and turpentine 
barrels, 24 saltpetre bags, 36 sacks of shavings, £ cwt of 
resin, and 3 gallons of turpentine—as highly inflammable a 
character of cargo as perhaps was ever heard of being stowed 
in so limited a space. It was said that the directors were 
desirous of putting a strong and extreme case before the com¬ 
missioners, in order to exhibit the full power of the invention, 
an anxiety which we fancy was fully answered; for, in truth, 
with such a cargo, a vessel would be really a “ fire-ship.” 
Previous to the contents of the hold being ignited, the com¬ 
missioners, with Captain Lean, and several other gentlemen, 
went on board, and devoted some ten minutes view about 
the bulk. With the exception of two or three annihilators, 
which stood upon the deck, no arrangement was observable 
for subduing the approaching conflagration. The signal 
being given, the hold was fired, and in a few minutes a body 
of flame shot up through the hatchway which must have 
been seen for miles round. The entire mass of inflam¬ 
mable materials having been allowed to get firmly alight, 
the machines were applied, and, after about half a minute’s 
streaming of the vaprous cloud, the fire, which threatened 
the immediate destruction of the vessel, was subdued. A 
quantity of smoke kept rising for some few minutes after¬ 
wards, but that was quickly suppressed, and the hulk soon 
assumed its former safe appearance, indicating but little of 
having been the scene of so fierce a conflagration a few 
minutes previously. The result of this test formed the 
subject of a very interesting discussion amongst the nautical 
and scientific gentlemen present. It is already known that 
her Majesty’s commissioners have already approved of the 
annihilators for use in passenger ships, whenever the owners 
can be induced to put them on board instead of fire-engines ; 
and doubtless this satisfactory and confirmatory proof of 
their great value, as a protection against the ravages of fire, 
will tend much to their being more generally kept on board 
vessels, foreign or coasters. 
“ The machines were next brought to bear upon a wooden 
house, erected upon the promenade, the frontage looking to 
the pier. It was 25 feet high- contained 70 spruce deal 
boards, and a cart-load of shavings and reeds, with six 
gallons of tar and turpentine, and 281b. of resin. The 
exterior had the appearance of an ordinary private dwell¬ 
ing, but we question whether any goods and chattels could 
ever burn like the combustible stuff which was stowed in 
this doomed house. A fire was kindled on the basement 
floor, and, as may be imagined, quickly extended to the roof. 
Huge volumes of flames shot from every window and aper¬ 
ture in the building, presenting the appearance of an un¬ 
controllable conflagration, and illuminating the river and 
district for many miles. The whole being literally one body 
of fire, the annihilators were brought forward, and the 
acid gas and steam which they emitted being directed 
into the flaming pile, in less than a minute the fire was 
extinguished, a feat that drew forth the most enthusiastic 
plaudits. 
“ This closed the demonstration as far as regards the an- 
nihilator, the great value and efficacy of which was fully 
borne out by the severe tests to which it was applied, and 
which excited the satisfaction of all present. A very beautiful 
display of Robson’s rockets and signal lights then took place, 
some of the former reaching a very great altitude. The more 
elite portion of the visitors then withdrew to the Clarendon 
Hotel, and afterwards returned to town by a special train, 
which left at eleven o’clock. AVc should not forget to men ¬ 
tion that the general arrangement of the demonstration 
was under the direction of Mr. Curtis, the secretary of the 
company, whose courtesy in affording us the fullest informal 
tion we have to acknowledge.” 
Now, we should not have thought ourselves justified in 
publishing this report, if we had not had the additional testi¬ 
mony of some gentleman who was present, and on whom we 
can place full reliance. Such a witness is Mr. Moxon, sen., 
and lie writes to us as follows :— 
“ Having witnessed the experiments myself with this 
machine, I think it due to the cause of humanity to send you 
the above brief account of the proceedings, taken from a 
daily paper. At the dinner, there were many of the very 
largest ship-owners of this port; who, after witnessing the 
experiments, were requested by the Chairman to state frankly 
and freely if they had any doubts as to its practical utility, 
while all parties were face to face. So far from there being 
a dissentient voice, all agreed that they were entirely satis¬ 
fied of its utility and practicability. Such being the case, I 
hope you will give currency to an invention of such moment 
to us all.—The Amazon, with two of the small-sized machines, 
would have been safe; cost to the shipowner, 30s.” 
THE RICH WIDOW. 
By the A ulhoress of “ My Flowers." 
In one of my last papers I gave a sketch of one who was 
“ seeking rest and finding none.” It was an instructive 
lesson, and I hope very many of my readers are laying it 
closely to heart. I will now give a slighter glance at the 
declining days of poor Robert’s widow, who still lives, but 
whose rest is little better than his own. It is said by an 
old proverb, that “ two of a trade seldom agree." However, 
the trade of Roberts and his wife was the same, and they 
agreed admirably; they loved the world, money, and gain; 
they strove for it in the same way, and used it in the same 
way, too. Indeed, unless people of this particular trade do 
get together, it is certain death to tire open hearted one; 
the “liberal soul” would pine and sink under the horror of 
perpetual money-scraping. It is a feeling most difficult to 
change; a spendthrift may be taught prudence in time, but 
a lover of gain can scarcely ever be made liberal; and so, in 
the face of the old proverb, Roberts and his wife went on 
very comfortably together. 
After her husband’s death, Mrs. Roberts retired from the 
shop, and settled herself in a very nice cottage in the same 
village. The front of the house was all covered over with 
monthly roses, jasmine, and other creepers, and there was 
a good garden at the back, She was rich; her scraping 
husband had provided handsomely for her, and she had 
nothing to do but enjoy it. There she sat, in handsome 
mourning, without children to provide for or be anxious 
about, and nothing to disturb her; but she was grasping 
still. She possessed several cottages, which she let at high 
rents, far beyond their merits, and gained the name of a 
very hard landlady. 1 know there is much to be said for 
owners of cottages; there is a great deal of quiet, respect¬ 
able dishonesty among the poor, if my readers can under¬ 
stand my meaning. There is a great backwardness as to 
rent among those who have very good characters; and great 
dispositions to defraud the landlord of his right, in many 
who profess to abhor debt, and to walk honestly before men. 
This I know from observation and experience; but still, 
among landlords, there is a hard way, and a soft way, of 
doing things; and Mrs. Roberts went the hard way to work. 
She gained a hard name; and there was no one prepared to 
come forward and explain matters so as to clear her from 
the charge. 
She was an afflicted woman in her health. She suffered 
constantly from soreness in the legs; and for months she 
would be confined to the house in this way, so that her 
money, though it enabled her to procure comforts, could not 
deliver her in the day of trouble; and when people are 
niggardly, they will deny themselves what they want, rather 
than part with the idol they worship. AVhen she was well 
she was clothed in gay attire, and looked smart and comely; 
but this deep-seated disease, like the leprosy of sin, rankled 
within, and broke out continually. A farmer in the neigh¬ 
bourhood, a money lover like herself, wished to make her 
his wife, but she dreaded giving up her idol into any one 
