Chapter I: Front Matter

FIRE PREVENTION

AND

FIRE EXTINCTION.

BY

JAMES BRAIDWOOD,

FIRST SUPERINTENDENT OF THE LONDON FIRE-BRIGADE, AND ASSOCIATE OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.

INCLUDING

FIRE-PROOF STRUCTURES, FIRE-PROOF SAFES, PUBLIC FIRE BRIGADES, PRIVATE MEANS FOR SUPPRESSING FIRES, FIRE-ENGINES, FIRE ANNIHILATORS, PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPES, WATER SUPPLY

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, MEMOIR, AND PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR.

LONDON: BELL AND DALDY, 186, FLEET STREET. 1866.

[_The right of Translation is reserved._]

CONTENTS.

MEMOIR.
PAGE

Introductory, Early Fires, Fire Engines, and Fire Brigades 5

Mr. Braidwood's birth and education 7

Great Fire of Edinburgh, and appointment as head of Brigade 8

Award of Silver Medal of Society of Arts, London; publication of work on Fire Engines 11

Formation of London Fire Brigade; appointment as Superintendent 13

Testimonials received upon leaving Edinburgh 14

London residence and routine of duty 16

Valuable services of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire 17

Statistics of Fires; improvement of Fire Engines 18

Introduction of ladders, hose reel, and hand pump 19

Floating Fire Engines, hand worked and steam; Land Steam Fire Engine 20

Inspection of Government Dockyards and Public Buildings; establishment of a standard hose coupling 21

Admitted an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers; award of Telford Medal; endeavours to restrain the erection of immoderate-sized warehouses 22

His opinion as to the inadequacy of London Fire Brigade; Great Tooley Street Fire 23

Death of Mr. Braidwood 24

Public funeral 25

Public and private character 28

World-wide esteem in which he was held 30

Poem--A True Hero 32

FIRE PREVENTION, INCLUDING FIREPROOF STRUCTURES--CAUSES OF FIRES.

Inattention in the use of fires and lights 33

Advantages of a legal inquiry into the cause of Fires 37

Improper construction of buildings 37

Acts of Parliament for buildings in London 39

Results of improper construction of warehouses in Liverpool 41

Arrangements for the safety of the audience in theatres 42

Danger from furnaces and close fires 43

Danger from pipes conveying products of combustion 44

Spontaneous ignition; use of gas 45

Incendiarism; monomania 46

FIREPROOF STRUCTURES.

What is fireproof construction 47

Use of cast and wrought-iron 49

Mr. Fairbairn's experiments 50

Danger to life from use of cast-iron columns 54

Report on warehouses 55

Covering timber with iron 56

Fireproof dwelling-houses 57

Fireproof safes 58

FIRE EXTINCTION, INCLUDING FIRE BRIGADES, FIRE ENGINES, AND WATER SUPPLY--FIRE BRIGADES.

Individual exertions for Fire Extinction 59

Fire Brigades on the Continent of Europe, in England, in America 66

Necessity for the control of arrangements by one individual 67

Proposal for a national system 68

Fire Engines at noblemen's and gentlemen's residences 70

Training and discipline of Firemen 71

General instructions for Firemen, and for the use of Fire Engines 72

Necessity for the water striking the burning materials 74

Inventions for elevating branch pipes considered 76

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE.

General description of men and engines 79

Division of London into districts 81

General regulations 82

Conditions of entrance into the establishment 83

Outline of general duty 85

Duties of Superintendent 88

" Foremen 90

" Engineers 93

" Sub-Engineers and Firemen 94

EDINBURGH FIRE BRIGADE.

Description of men selected 96

Mode of communicating with Firemen at a Fire 97

Dress and drill of Firemen 99

Gymnastic exercises 104

General regulations 106

Duties of Police 107

" Superintendent of Brigade 109

" Head Enginemen 110

" Firemen, and High Constables 111

" Magistrates, and Gas-Light Companies 113

Special regulations for Firemen 114

Means of escape from Fire 118

FIRE ENGINES.

The application of manual power 123

Engines used by the British Government 124

Description of Brigade Fire Engine 126

Hand Pump; keeping Fire Engines in order 130

Selection of Engine House 132

Apparatus provided with London Brigade Engine 133

Leather hose 134

Hose couplings 140

Suction pipes 143

Jet pipes, proper shape 145

Fire annihilator 149

WATER SUPPLY.

By pressure, from surface of ground, and by sunk tanks 150

Experiments with jets under a constant pressure 153

Fire plug used in London 155

Canvas cistern and stand-cock used with fire plug 156

Double fire-cock used in the Government Dockyards 158

Double hollow key fire-cock used in the British Museum 159

Supply by Water Companies in London 162

Supplying Fire Engines from fire-cocks, &c. 163