x 
1807.] Precautwns for lessening the Danger from Fire, kc. 559 
ceive us, the person in distress might im- 
mediately take his leap on throwing out 
his own, and in some measure break the 
effects of his tall by holding his breath at 
the same instant. 
But perhaps a few hints, calculated to 
prevent the necessity of such risks, may 
be sull more acceptable: —Among those 
fires which are fatal to our lives, none 
are more to be dreaded than those which 
happen or originate in our chambers, 
Here it is that ina few minutes we are 
enveloped in flames, every thing about 
us is combustible, and tends to hasten 
the horrid catastrophe. But whether 
the accident originates from the careless- 
ness of a servant, achild, or a parent, a 
little forethought, or the following sim- 
ple precaution, might have prevented it: 
for it is only by securing the candle in a 
lanthorn that I can at any time trust my 
elder girl to put the younger children to 
bed, without the dread of having the bed~ 
clothes or curtains set on fire, a circum- 
stance so very frequent and fatal, but 
which could not happen, did we.but ac- 
custom ourselves to take a light into a 
bed-room only when inclosed in a lamp or 
Janthorn, And if thelight were to remain 
in the chimney corner all night, our se- 
curity and advantage would still be in- 
creased, and the air of the chamber 
would not be injured, which might be 
the case if the lamp had been suspended , 
in the middle of the room. \ 
There are some people who say they 
cannot sleep in a datk room, and others 
find themselves restless because there is 
alight: but both may become agreeable 
by habit. Those who are accustomed to 
the latter would certainly have the ad- 
vantage in case of an accident. If a 
fire broke out in any part of the house, 
their clothes, their children, and their 
valuables, are immediately in view, and 
consequently their embarrassment would 
be considerably lessened. 
Among other important aids to huma- 
nity, we may reckon Dr. Covan’s late 
improved drag, for the speedily raising 
haman bodies from’ under water; and 
Mr. Daniel’s life-preserver, which pre- 
vents the ship-wrecked mariner from 
sinking. The Humane Society have like- 
wise done much to preserve us from 
death; and when the nation shall be led 
sufficiently to appreciate its character, 
and the importance of this excellent. in- 
stitution, we may expect a proportionate 
share of benefit bv the extension and 
improvement of such plans. _ 
Man thousands of those papers which 
acquaint us with the mode of recovering 
persons apparently dead, have been dis~ 
tributed in different parts, and man; 
thousands more are still wanted for the 
same purpose: and I have often thought 
that considerable benefit might be de- 
rived from painted inscriptions or in- 
structions of this kind being placed near 
turnpike gates, bathing-places, and near 
the bridges of London, Blackfriars, and 
Westininster. I believe that, to the ho- 
nour of humanity, it may be said, that 
few persons who attempt to rescue their 
fellow-creatures from perilous situations, 
feel any other impulse at the moment 
than. that of commiseration, or genuine 
benevolence: and yet no one will deny 
that the rewards held out and distributed 
by the Huinane Society have been ver 
salutary and proper? Why, then, should 
hot the same honours and rewards be In 
reserve for thase who rescue others from 
a death which we all contemplate with so 
much horror? Surely the jfiry element 
is not less cruel in his dominion over us, 
than that of water. The melancholy re~ 
lations which we every day hear, or read 
of, ought to have roused us to the consi 
deration of this subject. 
The conflagration at Westminster, 
which was so fatal to the house and in- 
mates of my friend Mr. J. Storr, as well as 
one, of much later occurrence, in Upper 
Norton-street, have the most serious part 
of their calamity to attribute to the diffe 
culty of procuring fire-ladders ; and, to 
prevent m future the loss of lives by this 
kind of neglect, Lwould recommend the 
expediency of increasing the nuntber of 
ladders, and particule rly the number of 
keys which secure them in the places 
where they are kept. And as fires gene- 
rally happen in the night, when the most 
assistance is wanted, and least is to be 
had, to help those who have not the op- 
portunity of  self-preservation, every 
means should be devised, and. every 
watchman and turnpikeman should be 
in possession of a key to. the nighest 
fire ladder. The parish watchhouse, to 
which people generally ran for aid, is 
very often situated too far from the spot 
which is the scene of distress, and it too 
often happens that, in the confusion ei« 
ther the watcbhouse, the key, or the lad- 
der, is not to be found in time. 
_ Light-made fire-ladders, which can be 
speedily procured, must, in many cases, 
be the easiest mode of escape; as those 
apertures for our windows, which builders 
seem, for the sake of uniformity, to place 
exactly over each other in the different 
= stories, 
