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Heating, Lighting, and Refrigeration: Suitable

That is the attitude of many persons in regard to fire escapes. Suitable provision for escape from attics, chambers, and other upper rooms is rarely thought of, except in the actual moment of danger, when stairways may be choked with smoke and flames.

Many persons have escaped from upper windows of cottages and other low dwellings by knotting sheets and other bed covers together to form a strong rope, fastening one end to the bedpost, and sliding down this to the ground. This plan should be talked over in the family circle so as to be "Suitable Provisions for Escape." clearly understood by children and others in case of emergency.

Or, if the rooms are too high from the ground to admit of this mode of escape, fasten a strong iron hook to the window casing, and have at hand a knotted rope long enough to reach to the ground.

Or, if this is not to be had, the bed may be thrown out of the window to assist in breaking the shock, and the person may make a rope of the bed covers and slide down as far as possible before dropping on the bed. A skylight should be cut in the roof of every dwelling and a permanent ladder fixed to give access to this, and also from thence to the edge of the roof and to the ground. This will admit of escape if the staircase should take fire and fall.

To Escape from Fires. - As the heated air, smoke, and noxious gases produced by combustion tend to rise, the purest air is next the floor. Hence, in escaping from fires, creep or crawl with the face near the floor. If time admits, a handkerchief or other thin cloth dipped in water and held over the nostrils will to some extent prevent drawing smoke into the lungs. Bystanders may assist in the escape of persons who are obliged to jump by holding a horse blanket or other large, strong cloth or canvas to receive them. The larger the cloth, the more persons holding it, and the higher it is held from the ground, the better.

FIREPROOFING AND WATER- PROOFING To Prevent Fires. - The following substances are recommended for fireproofing cloth and other materials: Alum, borax, vitriol, copperas, sulphate of ammonia, soluble glass, tungstate of soda, and phosphate of ammonia; also various combinations and preparations of these.