WALKING THROUGH FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 25 October 1907, Page 4

WALKING THROUGH FIRE.

A WONDERFUL NEW ASBESTOS ( SUIT. Science has just turned over to the uses of civilisation an invention designed to remove from everyone the terror of fire. To any one who lias this device in their room a blazing fire below, above, or all about might well have no terrors. When the midnight alarm of fire comes and the stairs are in flames you need not rush to the window xui<] gasp for fresh air until rescue or suffocation puts an end to your misery. There is being made an abestos suit with an airtight helmet which you can get into and leisurely walk through the smoke and flames down tlio blazing staircase into the street. If then you find you liavc forgotten anything you go back into the fire and look for it. After twenty minutes spent in tho fire, you must come out and take off your fire-proof suit and helmet. By that time the little compressed air tank carried behind your head will be exhausted, and youT asbestos suit will doubtless show signs of wear if you have been very close to actual flames.

Of course, this suit will not protect any one from falling beams, nor can one stand for twenty minutes in the midst of an actual flame, but one can move in and out of fire, giving the asbestos a chance to cool off between times. One can, according to tests, stand in tho flame as long as it would take to walk slowly downstairs; then if one waits for a moment, as long as it would take to walk through the liall to the next flight, the suit will be cool enough to withstand another equally long period of flame. Or you can walk steadily through such flame a.s would come from the burning of an ordinary staircase for three minutes without feeling any discomfort. Two minute more of such walking proved at recent tests to be unpleasantly hot. The tests ware not carried further at that time, but it is estimated that not until ten minutes hod passed would the heat cause actual injury to be so painful as to be unendurable. Tho suit and helmet were first made and patented for the fire departments, but it soon was apparent that everybody who wants to really insure his life against fire will be interested in owning a suit to hang in his or her own room near the bed.

So the manufacturers have decided to) place them on the market in four size 6. One for largo men, the seiond for small men ajid for women of ordinary stature, the third for small adults and large children, and the fourth for babies. Thick, clumsy-looking asbestos boots go with the larger sizes, which end at the knees in bloomers. The baby's suit is still in doubt. It may be sold in the form of an asbestos bag joined to the helmet, or may have little bloomers like the larger sizes. If the fire-proof suits can be sold at a reasonable figure and prove to be valuablo in actual burning buildings, it is to be expected that every well-equipped ! hotel in the future will have them.