QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.

[CONTRIBUTED PAPER.]

Soon after the large fires in New York last winter it was suggested in THE JOURNAL that Steamers of greater capacity were needed, as several of those in use failed in delivering the water with sufficient force to reach the fire. Whether it was owing to the Steamers or the way they were handled I have no means of knowing, but I do know that there are other things needed besides good Steamers to make an efficient Fire Department. One of these is good fuel. It should not only be good as regards its chemical composition, but its mechanical condition is of great importance. If in too large pieces, there is not sufficient surface for the air to act upon, for it is only where the air comes in contact with the fuel that heat is generated. On the other hand, if the fuel is in too small pieces, though the surface of contact with the air may be sufficient, the draft may be interfered with so much as to neutralize the advantage gained to a great extent. These facts being known, the proper condition of the fuel as regards size may be determined by careful observation. As fuel is what gives heat, it is a pardonable mistake to suppose the more fuel that can be consumed in a given time the more heat will be produced. This, however, is by no means the case, for a hundred pounds of fuel may be consumed,and not yield as much heat as fifty pounds completely burned. The explanation of this is that, as carbon is the principle element in fuel, and as each atom of carbon requires two atoms of oxygen for its complete combustion and full evolution of, heat, if an insufficient supply of air is admitted, the atoms of carbon will take up with but one atom of oxygen, and pass off in carbonic oxide instead of carbonic acid gas, and as the latter gives out more than twice as much heat as the former, the importance of a sufficient, but not excessive, supply of air will be understood.