258

FI RE-ESCAPE.

round the chest, and then the rope, which is in the roller, isto be thrown out of the window to the ground.

Now all being ready for descending, the person is to getout of the window, grasping tight with one or both handsthe rope at some convenient part, taking especial care notto meddle with the suspension iron, until quite out of thewindow ; after which, the rope below the regulator is to belaid hold of with the right-hand, and to he let run throughthe holes as fast as there may he occasion; for which pur-pose, if necessary, it may he safely slipped out of the openhole, it will then have the check of only three holes; if themotion is wanted to be retarded, the rope is to be put intothe notch at the upper part of the regulator. When oneperson has descended, and there is a necessity for a secondimmediately to follow, the union strap is to be then unbuckled,when the regulator will be separated from the upperbelt; the belt may then be very easily drawn up, havingthe friction of the suspension iron only, and the person aboveis to put on the belt as before directed, and be let downgradually, partly by the one below, and partly by managingthe rope as the other did; in this case, however, great caremust be taken, as the check occasioned by the regulator is gone.

Observations and Cautions .—It is not easy to put downrules for what number of holes the rope must pass through,as this must be varied according to the weight of the personand other circumstances. It would be well, before the per-son gets out of the window, to examine first, (it is indeedabsolutely necessary such investigation should be made,)whether the suspension iron is on the hook, then that thebuckles are fast, the tw'o knots tied, and that the ropeis in the hole of the regulator, which has the opening;great care must be taken, that there is not any impedimentto the free running of the rope, for which the wall of thehouse must be examined, and any nails or hooks which maychance to be there, removed: also iron scrapers, and anything where the rope is likely to hitch.

Mr. Forster has, in some respects, simplified Mr. Masere’smachine, particularly in substituting the ram-head suspen-sion iron, in the place cf a more complicated, and, in hisopinion, less secure piece of mechanism. It consists of asolid piece of metal (in the latter improved ones) groovedcylinder, round which the rope is coiled two or three times,by which a considerable degree of the friction originallyproduced, is preventer!, as well as the rapid descent whichwould otherwise happen. The metal cylinder is supported