Spons' Household Manual: A treasury of domestic receipts and a guide for home management
General
Spons' Household Manual: A treasury of domestic receipts and a guide for home management
Home economics
The Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire has published
the following directions for saving life at fires. See also p. 1002.
_For Bystanders._--1. Immediately on the fire being discovered give
an alarm to the nearest fire-escape station, not delaying an instant;
do not wait to see if it is wanted. Life is more precious than
property, and events have too often proved how fatal even a moment’s
hesitation is in sending for the fire-escape. It is the fire-escape
man’s duty to proceed to the place of alarm immediately.
2. In the absence of a fire-escape, or pending its arrival, ladders
and ropes should be sought for. Two constables or other qualified
persons should ascend to the roof through the adjoining houses. The
most efficient assistance can sometimes be rendered by an entrance
to the upper part of the house on fire, either by the attic windows,
the loft-door, or by removing the tiles; or sometimes the aid of one
end of a rope (knotted) might be afforded from the adjoining window,
which, being passed by the person in danger round some article in the
room, he could lower himself or others into the street, and the other
end of the rope being controlled of course by those rendering the aid
from the adjoining house. A short ladder can often be made available
at the second or perhaps the third, floor of houses built with a
balcony or portico, by the constable or other person first ascending
to the balcony, and then placing the ladder thereon, reach the rooms
above.
3. In a narrow street or court assistance may be given from the
windows of the opposite house, particularly by a ladder placed across
the street from window to window.
4. When no other means present themselves the bystanders had better
collect bedding at hand, in case the inmates throw themselves from
the windows. A blanket or carpet held stretched out by several
persons will serve the purpose. The Metropolitan Fire Escape Brigade
carry jumping-sheets with them for use upon emergency.
5. Do not give vent to the fire by breaking into the house
unnecessarily from without, or, if an inmate, by opening doors or
windows. Make a point of shutting every door after you as you go
through the house.
_For Inmates._--1. Every householder should make each person in his
house acquainted with the best means of escape, whether the fire
breaks out at the top or the bottom. Provide fire-guards for use
in every room where there is a fire, and let it be a rule of the
household not to rake out a fire before retiring for the night,
but to leave the guard on. In securing the street-door and lower
windows for the night, avoid complicated fastenings or impediments
to immediate outlets in case of fire. Descriptions and drawings
of fire-escapes for keeping in dwelling-houses may be seen upon
application at the offices of the Royal Society for the Protection of
Life from Fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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