THE LATE FIRE.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2602, 20 June 1871, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE.

To the Editor, Sir, —On reading the evidence given by James Sherar and James F. Miller at the inquiry into the origin of the late tiro, 1 was surprised at certain portions of their evidence. Constable Sherar says ‘ ‘ Not being certain whether Reichelt slept on the premises, I ran to the front door and endeavored to burss it open but cauld not succeed.” If ho was not certain anyone slept on the premises he should have inquired of the neighbors, and if informed that some one did reside on the premises, and that they had not been seen since the alarm of fire, ho should then break open the door. ‘ Miller in his evidence says : —“ As I passed through I heard on my left what I thought to be some one in distress. At the street door 1 met a constable, and I told him I thought some one was in the shop. We buiot open the door, when wo found the shop to be a perfect volcano of flame.” .Sow Miller was so far right, for he thought he heard some one in the shop, but he dors not say—on discovering the shop in a volur e of flame—“ we immediately closed the door. ’ I may therefore presume that the door was left open ; hence the rapidity with which the lire traveled. For the information of those who do not know that it is essential to keep the doors and windows closed of premises on fire, 1 quote a fc>v extracts Rom “ Braid wood 8 Work on Fire Prevention and Fire Extinction ” : ‘ * W hat the open door of the ash-pit is to the furnace of a steam-boiler, the open street door is to the house ou lire. In both cases the door gives vita’ air ts the flamer. Cn the first discovery of a fire, it is of the utmost consequence to shut, and keep shut, all doors, windows, or other openings. It may often be observed after a house has been on tire, that one floor is comparatively untouched, while those above and below are nearly burned out. This arises from the door on that particular floor having been shut, and the draught directed elsewhere. If the person wiio lias examined the lire finds a risk of its gaining ground upon him, he should, if within reach of fire-engines, keep every thingclosed and await their am va 1 , instead of admitting air to the fire by i: • effectual efforts to oppose it with inadequate means.” In the meantime, however, he should ex* amine where a supply of water is most like ly to be obtained, and communicate that or any other local information to the firemen on their coming forward. “if there be no fireengine within reach, the person who has examined the lire should keep the place where it is situated as close as possible, till as many buckets of water as can bo easily collected are placed within reach ” Taking care always that there is some one ready to assist him, he should i lieu open the door, and creep forward ou his hands and knees till he gets as near the tire as possible, holding his breath, and standing up for a moment to give the water a proper direction, he should throw it with force (using a hand-pump, if available), and instantly got down to his former position, where he will be again able to breathe. The people behind handing foi • ward another bucket of water, he repeats the operation till the fire is quenched, or until he falls exhausted, in which case some one should take his place. If there be enough of water, however, two or thre •, or any' convenient number of people may be employed in tin owing it. On the c-mlrary, if a supply of water be insufficient to employ even , one person, the door should be kept shut while the water is being brought, and the air excluded, as the fire burns equally in proportion to the quantity of air which it receives.

The possessor of the house in which the ire breaks out should take particular care to tcep all doors ami windows shut. By the total exclusion of air the -fire would go out of itself. The-e extracts require no comment. Let .hose who arrive first at a life act up to them. By doing so they will greatly assist the Fire Brigade, and be the means of saving thousands of pounds’ worth of property, and no doubt life. Had they been followed out at the late lire, the proprietor of. the City Buffet would not have lost L9UO. Yours, &c , John Hughes. Dunedin, June 19,