537
FIRE, PRECAUTIONS AGAINST.
Our total failure in destroying the shipping at Antwerp in 1813-14 must be, inpart, attributed to the measures taken by Carnot, who was then Governor. Fromsuch information as can be obtained, it would appear that they chiefly consisted inthe establishment of well-organized fire-parties; and in securing the ships, by cover-ing the decks with earth and dung, and supporting them by numerous props andstanchions.
What is given by Carnot, par. 47, 4th head of ‘Defence of Fortresses/ may becombined with the following from Laisne. 2nd ed. p. 403.
“ Lorsque la place est petite, ou si toutes les troupes ne peuvent etre logees dansles quartiers ou elles soient en surete contre les projectiles de Fassiegeant, on blinde,autant que possible, les casernes les plus rapprochees du front d’attaque.
“ II convient surtout d’affecter a l’usage d’hopitaux, les souterrains les plus sainset les meilleurs batimens a Fepreuve soit voutes, soit blindes au moment du besoin.
“ Les fours, les puits et les citerues doivent egalement etre garantis contre lesborabes, par des blindages, s’ils ne se trouvent disposes dans les locaux voutes aFepreuve.
“ Pour diminuer les effets de la chute et de Fexplosion des projectiles, on peut,depaver les cours et une partie des abords de tous les etablissements militaires.
“ L’un des plus grands dangers dans une place assiegee etant celui des incendies,on devra organiser des compagnies des Pompiers-bourgeois ; former des reservoirsd’eau multiplies, avoir 20 grandes echelles de 10 m . de longueur; 40 echelles moyennesde 7 m .; 50 petites echelles de 4 m .; 40 crocs ferres gros et longs emmanches; 10pompes a bras ; 350 seaux de cuir.
“ On placera sur les clochers les plus eleves des guetteurs qui au moyen decloches et de porte-voix, averteront du feu et des endroit ou il eclatera. Ces guet-teurs pourront en meme temps, pendant la jour, observer les mouvements de l’ennemi,et en prevenir le gouverneur; pour cela, ils descendront leur avis ecrits,” &c.
Napoleon’s decree, 24th December, 1811, article 94, relative to the defence ofplaces, was, “ Le Service d’Incendie, en cas de siege, ou de bombardement, est regleepar le Gouverneur ou Commandant, de concert avec le Commandant de Genie et F au-torite civile.”
It is to be observed that when a dockyard, in which there are several ships eitherin dock or on the stocks, tolerably near one another, is once thoroughly on fire, nohitherto arrangements in the w r ay of ordinary fire-engines are of the slightest use.Dockyards should be provided with reservoirs with the requisite steam powerarrangements for their supply, rather from the sea* than from the common limitedresources of w r ater-companies: the head of water thus given, and led amongst theshipping, should be such as will pour volumes , not petty jets d’eau, as from commonfire-engines, that do but aggravate the fierceness of the combustion by their insignifi-cant streams, and embarrass all extensive arrangements by the confusion and inter-ference of their numerous working parties with those employed in the removal of theneighbouring materials, &c.
The writer w r as on duty at the fire in Devonport Dockyard, in 1840: as long as theflames from the ships, their sheds, and the neighbouring piles of plank and timber,
* Salt water freezes far less readily than fresh.—hence an additional reason for availing oneself ofthis resource in countries near the sea, when the cold is severe and the pipes soon frozen.