Important Hints On Putting Out Fires

It shoukl bc firmly fiscd u tho mind of' cvery man, wotnan and child, that tho best way to estiogahb a fire is to smoiier it, f o shut out tku access of air. If the clothes tako fire, wrap tlioiu togefher cloíely, or throw arouud tliom a blanket, ; dieet, another drese, a tuble-cloth, ora piece of oarpet - anything tliat can bu íirst jot hold of. A newspapcr, or hand kerchief, suddenly spread over a Same and drawn dowu so as to simt out air, will extinguisb or check the tiro. It. is well lor childrcn and even growu people tu practico extÍDguishing a flame, by setting ou fire, in a salo placo out of doors, u qiiantit v of paper or sbaviugs, and even buruiug luid, aud then try how suddenly the üume may bo extinguishcd with a cloth or paper. A Hule practico liko this will givo confidenoe and experience, and prevent tbat sudden fright aud indecisión which generally oucurs when a lire breaks out. hera burning fiuids are used, thoy frequently run over and take fire on tbc outside of tho lamp, Usually, if held Btill, the excess of fluid will b.irn off with no harui. A sudden, heavy blast of breath will generally put out tho llame. A cloth thrown entircly over it, will eertainly put it out. Shalriug the lamp through fright, or throwing it down, ouly makes the matter worse, by forcing out j more fluid. Jlon't be afraid of au "explosión.1' It is next to impossible to explodc even u burning lamp. It is barely possible to do it by baving the wiek out of oae time, so that the fíame can run dowu the openiug; and thou not ono time iu a thousand will títere be just the right mixture of air and fluid vapor to produce explosión enough to break the lamp - Tliere may be a littlo puff and report, and the dropping of the lamp iu fright will throw out tbc fluid, or break the lainp if óf glass, wheo of course there will be a flanie, but one easily extinguisbed by means of a clotb. Dashing on water often scatters the burning liquid around the room, inaking the matter worse. Let it be renicmbered, that not one iu five liundred of tho reported " explosions " of lampa, is really no " explosión " at all. Thej result from spüling fluid carelessly, or breaking a lamp. In tho fright, the fluid is perhaps dashod over the cluthing, and bad burns and even deatb may result, espccially if the person ruus out in the air, and thus fans the fiaine. After a!l that bas been published and said ou the subject, any porson who will CU a lamp while buruing, or do it near another buruing lamp or fire, ought to be burned - a little. If a fire occurs in a room or closet, do not throw open the doors aud windows, and thus fan the flanie. Close every aperture instautl}', until an abundance of blankets, and water, are secured, tben throw open the door, and quickly smother the flame. No common substance will burn without air, except gunpowder, or nitre, or chlorate of potish, and sucli like compounds which of themselves furnish the oxygeu to support the flame. Even phosphorus will instautly go out if simply smothered. If thc3c simple directions werc so fixed in the niiud, that a person is preparcd to act coolly, nine tenths of all the fires, the suffering from burning of garinents, and the so called lamp exnlosions would be avoidod.- ,Hkl)ipi Jrps.