1807.] 
the roots of thofe trees foon rot in the 
earth, and after four or five years ceafe 
to obftruct the plough, whilft thofe of the 
oak and chefnut are many years before 
the farmer can clear his lands of them. 
Grand River pafles through, and becomes 
navigable for fmall: craft at, Windfor ; 
and it will be read with furprife, when I 
affure you that good French brandy and 
Jamaica rum were purchafable at Wind- 
for as reafonable as at New York, the 
caufe of which is that the Canadians 
fmrugele thefe articles on to the fhores of 
Lake Erie; a practice fo injurious to our 
national revenue, that it was one of the 
objects of the treaty, contemplated to 
have been held at “Cleveland, to prevent 
it; and I have reafon to believe that, al- 
chou: zh that treaty did not obtain’ every 
object defired, it has leffened the prac- 
tice of finuggling into at leaft this part 
of the coatt on the lake. 
Tremain, Sir, your’s, &c. 
Allexandria, R, Dinmonre. 
Dec. 21, 1806. 
aig brace 
Yo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T has often been matter of furprife 
to me, that fo ingenious a people as 
the Englifh fhould never have ftruck out 
a mode of checking the progrefs of fire 
ne Meu metropolis, fince they cannot 
prevent its occafional ravages. A very 
fimple method has occurred tome. ft 
is this: to floor all fhops, warehoufes, 
nurferies, bed-chambers, particularly the 
rooms in which fervants fleep, with brick 
or tiles, or fume kind of hard compofi- 
tion, fuch as we find in the beft houfes 
(aay, im the palaces) of Italy. Jf, ina 
room fo floored, fome article of furniture 
fhould take fire, it may (fhould it .be too 
large to be thrown out of the window, or 
to be removed through the door). be 
drawn into the middle “of the room, and 
there allowed to burn, while the fur- 
rounding inflanimable articles are remov- 
ing. Thus the progrefs of the flames 
would be completely flopped; for the 
hard floor fetting fire at defiance, the 
family would move with confidence about 
the flaming object, and confine the con- 
fumption to ittelf. This plan, however, 
cannot be carried into execution in fuch 
houfes as are already built, except in 
the ground or lower apartments: but 
haufes fhould, in future, be fo conftruét- 
ed as to admit of the ufe of brick, tiles, 
Qe compofition in the upper flories, 
Precautions for checking the Ravages of Fire. 259 
Proper officers, like the ediles of ancient 
Rome, thould be appointed to fuperin- 
tend ie erection of new buildings; and 
I am not fure but the legiflature th ould 
fo far interfere as to oblige the builder 
to floor certain rooms in the manner [ 
recommend, Such an‘ act might per-. 
haps appear arbitrary, and be thought to 
favour of defpotifin ; but when the lives 
and properties of many valuable citizens 
are expofed to deftruction from the care- 
leffnets or wnalice of a vicious or drunken 
fervaut, there would be no juft caufe 
for complaint. In this fattidious age, 
objections might be made to fo vulgar a 
loor as tiles ; a modern beau or btlle 
would perhaps be fhocked at the idea of 
fetting a foot upon any thing but boards. 
Let them then cover their floors with 
mats or carpets; and if the legiflature 
thould allow them boarded floors in their 
parlours and drawing-rooms, they fhould 
be thankful, and diipenfe with tiles or 
compofition in thew upper and lower 
rooms. In Italy noble, and even royal, 
feet tread either upon marble, brick, or 
tiles: to the indulgence of boards they. 
are firangers. 
If the hints, which I have thus thrown 
out loofely, thould be taken into, confi- 
deration by tome ikilful builder or arcli-_ 
tect, my impertfeét plan may, perhaps, 
be improved to a degree of perfection 
that may fave the lives and properties of 
thoufands of our fellow-creatures. To 
the hints already fuggefted, I fhall beg 
leave to add, that the legillature fhould 
infilé upon a little divifion between the 
walls of houfes: I mean, that neigh- 
bouring houfes fhould not touch; nor 
fhould one wall, as l fear is too often 
the cafe, become what is called a party- 
wall; thatis, two houfes thould not reft 
upon the fame wall by meaus of inferted 
beams. I would alfo recommend ftone 
or marble ftairs, as often as fuch mate- 
rials can be obtained; and above all 
things, {tone or marble landing-places, 
to allift in efcape from the puriuing or 
approaching flame. 1 would further re- 
commend tne ufe of iron, or caft metal, 
in window-frames, window-fhutters, fur- 
bafes, and all the projecting ornaments 
of rooms ; alfo thin plates of iron under 
fuch floors as may be boarded. 
af think, too, much might depend on 
the choice of wood in floors and in ftair- 
eales. Deal, which is generally ufed, 
is the moft inflammable of all wood; 
oak, or fome tlow-burning wood, fhould 
be preferred. ~Perhaps fome chemical 
ha _ preparation 
