An essay on the extinction and prevention of destructive fires, with the description of apparatus for rescuing persons from houses ... in flames ; together with an outline for the establishment of a preventive fire-police / [George William Manby].

  • Manby, George William, 1765-1854
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the extinction and prevention of destructive fires, with the description of apparatus for rescuing persons from houses ... in flames ; together with an outline for the establishment of a preventive fire-police / [George William Manby]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/28
    AN ESSAY, Sfc. 4*c. Although the preservation of life from fire had for a long- time occupied some part of my attention, it was not till after witnessing a very awful conflagration in Edinburgh, in January, 1813, and after reflecting on the strange confusion which is invariably attendant on fires, from the want of some established, well-digested, systematic plan, that I began more particularly to direct my thoughts to the subject : convinced of the necessity of laying down some general rules, in con¬ junction with the requisite apparatus, for the purpose I had in view, much after the order I had already adopted for saving the lives of shipwrecked mariners. The fire to which I allude was raging in the fifth floor, or flat, of a lofty building; and in consequence of the difficulty of procuring an early supply of water,—of its scarcity when obtained, and of the height of the building, by which the use of the engines was rendered of little avail, the fire rapidly increased. Owing to the intricacy of the situation, which rendered access difficult, and to the spot, when attained, not being within reach of manual exertion for the ready application of water on the part that was burning, the flames at last raged with unchecked fury. On my return from Scotland, I stated these circumstances to the late Right Hon. George Rose, that true friend and patron of every good design. He urged me to apply myself to the production of some means for obviating the evils represented, and to the construction of apparatus, &c., for preventing a recurrence of similar disasters. Thus encouraged, after deep consideration, it occurred to me that nothing could be so equably adapted for instant application as con¬ densed air, acting on the surface of a fluid so as to jet a stream of water, at pleasure, on any part of a building where fire existed. This appeared to me in every way adequate to the purpose, as it was capable of being rendered extremely portable, and, consequently, easy