CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF CHAMBERS'S NUMBER 91. NEW AND IMPROVED SERIES. PRICE 1d. RESOURCES OF HUMANITY-USEFUL RECEIPTS-THE TOILET. RESOURCES OF HUMANITY. UNDER this head may be appropriately included those inventions which have reference to the preservation of life from accidents by water, fire, and other agents of personal injury. ESCAPES FROM DROWNING. Life-boats.-The attention of the public had been called at an early period to the perils and fatalities of shipwrecks. Several boats for preserving lives in such cases were invented, and, among others, one by Mr Lukin in 1785. But an accident which occurred on the Herd Sands of South Shields, in September 1789, led to material improvements in the art of constructing these vessels. The Adventure, a merchant-ship of considerable bulk, was wrecked within three hundred yards of the shore, in presence of an immense number of spectators; and almost every man of the unhappy band of mariners perished, without the possibility of receiving assistance from the shore. The consequence was, that the people of South Shields met soon afterwards, and offered a reward to any one who should invent a boat capable of being launched from the shore to the aid of ships in distress. Mr Greathead gained the premium; and in 1790 a life-boat, constructed upon the plan proposed by him, was effectually used in saving the crew of a vessel stranded under circumstances similar to those of the Adventure. Several other trials of the life-boat proved its utility so fully, that in 1802 the Society of Arts presented the inventor with their gold medal and fifty guineas; and Parliament also decreed to Mr Greathead a reward of £1200. The Trinity House followed the example; and the Com mittee of Lloyd's devoted £2000 to the purpose of building boats on the same principle. By these and other means, the dangerous parts of our coasts have been very generally furnished with these life-preser vers. The form of Mr Greathead's life-boat is one well adapted to give it buoyancy, and keep it afloat in any sea. It is usually "made about thirty feet in length, ten in breadth, and three feet three inches deep at midships; both extremities are made precisely of the same form, so that it goes through the water with either end foremost; and its shape lengthwise is a curve, so formed that a line drawn from the top of one stem to that of the other would be two feet and a half above the gunwale at midships. In this boat there are five thwarts, or seats for rowers, double-banked, so that it must be manned with ten oars. It is cased and lined with cork, which gives it such buoyancy that it will float and be serviceable, though so damaged by hard knocks as to be almost in pieces; and this the softness and elasticity of the cork is well calculated to prevent. The cork on the outside is four inches thick, and it reaches the whole length of the shear, or side of the boat; on the inside it is thicker, and the whole quantity is about seven hundred-weight. It is firmly secured with slips or plates of copper, and fastened with copper nails. The advantages of this boat are stated to be, that its curvature gives it great facility in turning, a single stroke of the steering oars, of which there is one at each end, moving it as though on a centre; that the covering of cork, being immediately under the gunwale, gives great liveliness or disposition to recover its balance after being suddenly canted aside by a heavy wave; and that its capability of going with either end forwards increases its manageability." A view of the life-boat in action is presented at the head of our article. The life-boat is kept in a boat-house, and placed on wheels, in order that it may be moved at an instant's notice. Where the road to the sea is smooth, this simple mode of moving the boat does well enough; but it has been found better in many cases to suspend the boat under the axis of the wheels, so that the shaking may be less injurious. At most of the life-boat stations, the boat is under the charge of a committee, and twenty or twenty-four men, composing two crews, are alternately employed in its navigation. A reward is given to these men in cases of shipwreck, and the vessel receiving aid is expected to contribute to this end. Of course the life-boat men are picked persons, of steady habits and active frames; and the individual in command requires to possess peculiar skill and knowledge of the coasts and currents. It has been observed, that the occupation of the life-boat men gives a sort of dignity to their character, and elevates their tone of thought. Many noble actions have been performed by them, which no money could compensate. Of their general usefulness, some idea may be gathered from the fact, that, betwixt the date of Mr Greathead's invention and 1804, three hundred lives had been saved at the entrance of Tynemouth haven alone. Mr Greathead recommends the life-boat to be painted white on the outside, as a colour that most readily catches the eye. He also advises the steersman to keep the head of the boat to the sea, and to give her an accelerated velocity to meet the wave. The strong reflux of the waves renders it necessary to approach a wreck with great caution, and the leeside is usually the safest of access. Of course the first object is to convey the wrecked crews on shore, which, if they are numerous, must be done by degrees. Many lives have been lost by the impatience of crews, in attempting to go on shore in their own boats. This is always an act of folly where a life-boat is on the scene. Captain Manby's intentions.— Since the date of its discovery, some improvements have been made on the common life-boat of Mr Greathead; but the most important subsequent inventions for the humane end of saving lives at sea, have been those of Captain Manby. This philanthropic gentleman was in the corps of engineers, and held the situation of barrack-master at Yarmouth, on the Norfolk coast, in the year 1807. That coast, it is well known, is full of shoals, and many vessels have gone to pieces within a hundred yards of the shore, in sight of multitudes of people, without any chance of giving relief. Life-boats could not be stationed at all points of an extensive coast, and perhaps could not be always used if they were present. The lamentable case of the Snipe, where sixty persons lost their lives near Yarmouth, made so deep an impression on Captain Manby, that he resolved to devote his mind and his life to the discovery of some means of relieving similar cases of distress. It appeared evident to him that the desired end was the discovery of some means of throwing a rope from the shore to the ship, or from the ship to the shore. Boats with the crews could obviously be thus drawn ashore in almost any circumstances. "The active and philanthropic mind of Captain Manby was not tardy in pointing out a probable method. It struck him that a cannon shot affixed to a rope, and projected from a piece of ordnance over a stranded vessel, was a practicable mode of establishing the communication. But to reduce it to practice was found to be attended with much greater difficulty than the simplicity of the object seemed at first sight to promise. In the first place, the folding or manner of laying the rope, so as to unfold itself with the rapidity equal to the flight of a shell from a mortar, without breaking by sudden jerks at each returning fold, and without entanglement from the effect of uneven ground and boisterous winds, was no easy task. But it was at length attained by adopting what is called a French faking, in folds of the length of two yards; and by laying the rope in a flat basket always kept ready, with the rope in order, in a secure place, so that it could be transported at a moment's notice to the situation required, and laid upon rocks and uneven ground even in the most boisterous weather, without fear of disarrange ment. day-time, and when from cold and fatigue they are disabled from seizing and fastening the rope, and other respects joining their own exertions to ther their friends on shore. The following extract, fr an account of experiments made before some cul and field-officers of artillery, shows the celerity which the service may be performed : 'A person is completely equipped with every p sary apparatus to effect communication with a RE driven on a lee-shore. A man mounted on her han. was exhibited, accoutred with a deal frame, contar 200 yards of log line ready coiled for service, ur was slung as a knapsack, with a brass howitzer three-pounder bore on its carriage, and two rounde ammunition, the whole weighing sixty-two pusme strapped on the fore part of the saddle. The pe thus equipped is supposed to be enabled to travel w expedition to the aid of ships in danger of being wrea on parts of the coast intermediate to the mortar sa tions; and with this small apparatus the log-line be projected over the vessel in distress, from rope should be attached to it to haul the crew on Captain Manby caused the howitzer to be dismem from the horse, and in a few minutes fired it, when s shot was thrown, with the line attached, to the distas of 143 yards. At a subsequent trial, the horses fully equipped, travelled a mile and a third; howitzer was dismounted, and the line projected yards in six minutes. Such is the simple but efficacious nature of p Manby's first invention; and a few practical expements soon ascertained the allowance to be made pointing the mortar to windward of the object vi which the rope is to fall, in order to obviate the es of a strong wind, which would of course carry de siderably to leeward. Experience also proved thai : mortar should be laid at a low elevation, mare to insure the certainty of the rope's falling on weathermost part of the rigging. This original invention, however, was obviously e able of many improvements. The first of these was afford assistance to vessels whose crews, either fr ̈* their being lashed to the rigging, or from extreme end and fatigue, are incapable of assisting to secure 1: rope to the wreck when projected over it from t mortar. This was attained by adding a quadruple bar to the shot-that is, making four hooks project fr the ball-by means of which, when the rope is han⚫: tight by the people on shore, one end is firmly spearon some part of the rigging or wreck, and a boat ro of course be hauled to the relief of the crew, with any assistance on their part." But in order to make this invention effective in the darkest night as well as by the light of day, the ing nious philanthropist had yet much to do and discov He attained his end, difficult as the task was "T requisite objects were-First, to devise the means discovering precisely where the distressed vessel lies, when the crew are not able to make their exact st tion known by luminous signals. Secondly, to disco a method of laying the mortar for the object with much accuracy as in the light. Thirdly, to render t'e flight of the rope perfectly distinguishable to these v project it, and to the crew on board the vessel, so that they cannot fail of seeing on what part of the rigge it lodges, and consequently may have no difficulty securing it. The next difficulty consisted in the means of connecting the rope with a shot, so as to resist the inflammation of gunpowder in that part of it which must necessarily occupy the interior of the mortar. Chains in every variety of form and strength universally broke from the sudden jerks or play to which they were liable, which proved that not only an elastic, but a more connected body was necessary. At length,' says Captain Manby, 'some stout plaited hide, woven extremely close to the eye of the shot, to prevent the slightest play, extending about two feet beyond the muzzle of the piece, and with a loop at the end to re-tity of gunpowder to burst the ball and inflame th ceive the rope, happily effected it. This apparatus, projected from a small howitzer over a vessel stranded on a lee-shore, so light as to be easily conveyed from one part of the coast to another, affords rtain means of saving the lives of the crew in the To attain the first object, a fire-ball is used, such -is often thrown up in the attack and defence of fort.5-4 places to discover the situation of an enemy by ng“. It consists of a hollow ball of pasteboard, having a he at top containing a fusee, and filled with about fifty la minous balls of star composition, and a sufficient qua stars. The fusee is graduated so as to set fire to the bursting powder at the height of 300 yards. On the stars being released, they continue their splendour while falling for nearly one minute, and strongly illu mine every surrounding object: ample time is ther fore allowed to discover the situation of the distressed | immerse his head even for an instant. On this fact, vessel. During the period of the light, a board, with two upright sticks at each end (painted white to render them more discernible in the dark), is pointed towards the vessel, so that the two white sticks shall meet in a direct line with it, the wreck being a fixed object. This will obviously afford an undeviating rule by which to lay the mortar, making an allowance, as by daylight, for wind, &c. Thus the second object is attained. For the third, a shell (instead of a shot) is affixed to the rope, having four holes in it to receive fusees, and the body of the shell is filled with the fiercest and most glaring composition, which, when inflamed, displays so splendid an illumination of the rope that its flight cannct be mistaken." Such are the most prominent features in the scheme of Captain Manby for the relief of ships in distress. The number of persons saved by these inventions has been very great. Almost immediately after turning his mind to the subject, Captain Manby had the gratification of rescuing ninety persons from a grave in the deep. The whole expense of his apparatus did not exceed £10. Captain Manby was deemed worthy of a parliamentary reward. Floats and buoys. In addition to such a flat boat as that recommended by Captain Manby, with rods and ropes furnished with hooks for grappling, humane societies usually possess floaters, consisting of short bars of wood, with buoys or masses of cork at each end. One of these being thrown out with a rope, a party in danger may grasp the bar, and be readily borne up till pulled ashore. Another provision of late invention consists of hollow girdles of cloth, air and water-proof, which, being sustained by straps from the shoulders, can be filled with air from the mouth, and when the pipe is closed, will sustain the wearer perfectly in water. the directors of the society found that, in the event of the ice giving way under a skater, the reaction will effectually protect him till relieved from his perilous situation." After this satisfactory testimony, nothing more need be said on the subject. It is quite clear to us, that if people would but be persuaded to wear one of these safety-capes, they need be under no apprehension whatever of immediate drowning in the case of sudden immersion in water; and it is well known that, except in shipwrecks at a great distance from land, a power of buoyancy for only a few minutes would save almost every life. The deplorable deaths from boat accidents on rivers, for lack of some such simple means of preservation, who can either number or sufficiently lament? Dangers upon ice. The preservation of lives endangered by the breaking of ice also arrested the attention of Captain Manby. In ordinary cases, ropes and a ladder are used for the purpose of relieving persons so situated, but Captain Manby's suggestions have reference to all possible circumstances of difficulty and danger. He recommends as one instrument a rope with a floating noose, distended by whalebone, with an eggshaped piece of wood or cork at a convenient distance, to be easily grasped by the hand. The evident purpose of this rope is to be thrown to and grasped by the person in the water, who for a time usually sustains himself by holding the edges of the ice. Another machine for saving persons in similar cases, recommended by Captain Manby, is a boat of wicker or wood. made very flat and light, and placed upon wheels. The wicker boat may be rendered buoyant by tin boxes enclosing air. Such a boat is pushed over the ice by means of sprits or pikes, with sharp iron points, and may be rapidly taken to the scene of danger in almost every case. Where the person in peril has sunk, a Safety cape. This is of later invention than the grappling rod with hooks, two, three, or four in numabove-mentioned float-belts, which it is likely to super-ber, is used for the purpose of raising him, or dragging sede, inasmuch as it combines an article of dress with its principle of life preservation. It is the invention of a member of the Skating Club of Edinburgh, and is furuished by the Albion Cloth Company of that city. The cape, which is suited to lie easily round the neck and shoulders, is formed of Macintosh cloth, which may be partially inflated with air at pleasure, by means of a small mouth-piece hid from external observation. The cape we saw is outwardly a greyish serge (it may, how-shore. ever, be made of any material), and hangs down all round as low as the elbows. A tape from the inner part of the back, to be tied round the body, keeps the cape down, in the event of immersion in water. When blown him from below the ice; and the points are guarded, so that no injury may be done to the body. The body will always be easily moved in the water. A ladder, with a considerable balancing weight at one end, forms another instrument of value, either for approaching a broken portion of weak ice, so that ropes may be thrown to a party in the water, or for communicating betwixt the boat and safe ice, or betwixt the boat and the Boat accidents. If upset in a boat, or in any other way precipitated into the water without being able to swim, draw in the breath, keep your mouth as well shut as possible, and do not throw about with your arms. Endeavouring to hold your head up, yield yourself to the buoyant powers of the water, and stretch out your hands-but only below, not above, the surface. Remember that the less you expose above the surface the better are you buoyed up. Many persons are drowned merely from struggling and throwing up their hands. up, the cape swells to about an inch in thickness, which presents nothing unsightly; however, it need not be inflated till the wearer goes into a condition of danger-into a boat on a sailing excursion, for instance, or upon unsafe ice. As a piece of dress, it may be worn by ladies as well as gentlemen. With respect to the buoyant powers of the apparatus, they have been the subject of a critical experi- Treatment of persons apparently drowned.—The treatment by the Edinburgh and Leith Humane Society, ment of persons taken from the water in an apparently which is mentioned in nearly the following terms in lifeless condition is a question of the highest consethe newspapers of the day "The use of a large cast-quence to humanity. It was formerly supposed that iron tank or tun having been obligingly placed at the service of the directors by a brewer in Edinburgh, it was filled with warm water to the depth of six feet two inches. A stout man, a sailor, five feet six inches in height, and about ten to eleven stone weight, went into the water with his clothes on, wearing the safety-cape, and, to the satisfaction of all present, floated vertically at his ease, with his head, neck, and part of his shoulders above water. Wishing to ascertain what degree of buoyancy he had to spare, weights were given to him, which he held in his hands. Seven pounds sank him to the throat, and four more to the lip, proving that he could have sustained another person in the water. The man came out repeatedly, and again plunged into the water, always declaring it difficult to the deluging of the lungs with water was the direct and immediate cause of death in cases of submersion in that element; but, in reality, it has been ascertained that only a very small quantity of water enters the lungs in such circumstances. The deprivation of air is now understood to be the true cause of death. On being submerged for the space of three-quarters of a minute, a violent effort is made to inspire and expand the lungs, but no air, of course, can enter. Air, however, is expelled, and as the same effort at inspiration is repeated again and again, the expiration also is renewed, making obvious bubbles at the surface, until the lungs are completely exhausted. In the meanwhile, the blood, from want of oxygenating air, becomes rapidly changed from its arterial or red condi tion to a venous or dark state, and being then incapable of maintaining the vital action of the brain and other ESCAPES FROM BURNING. organs, as well as of supporting the animal heat, sen- Precautions as to Fire-Houses are said to take € sation, voluntary motion, and bodily warmth, are gra- by accidents, but these accidents are in genera dually extinguished, and death ensues. A convulsive acts of carelessness, and could, with a reason alle cough keeps out water from the lungs in a great mea-gree of prudence, be avoided. As prevention a betasure, and the small quantity that does enter is wrought than cure, we offer the following precautionary up into a sort of froth. Little water is found to enter vices :even the stomach. It is the collapse of the lungs from want of air which weighs down the body, and causes it to rest below the surface, till the formation of gases of putrefaction again lighten and raise it. The phenomena attending the extinction or cessation of life by submersion in water, are of importance as regulating the attempts that may be made to restore the vital spark. It is impossible to say at what distance of time after submersion these attempts will be fruitless. A person has been found irrecoverable after being four minutes in water, and many have been restored after submersion for twenty minutes, and even for half an hour. Much depends on the treatment applied. Misled by the notion that the body was in all cases gorged with water, people were wont to hold up the drowned by the heels, roll them about, and use other means calculated only to destroy all chance of recovery. This fatal error is even yet too often practised. The true remedies in such cases are few and simple. The first object is the restoration of the animal heat. For this purpose, the wet clothes are to be removed without delay, and the body, after being well dried, is to be surrounded with warm air, for which purpose every humane society should have a portable warm-air bath. The heat should at first be moderate, and gently increased. In absence of the warm-air bath, the body should be laid in a well-heated bed or blankets, and bottles of hot water laid to the feet and arm-pits. A warming-pan or heated bricks should be passed over the body, or gentle friction exercised with other warm substances. Meanwhile, by means of a pipe or bellows, continual though gentle attempts should be made to excite respiration artificially; and, if the apparatus be at hand, slight shocks of electricity should be kept up at the same time. If there be any signs of returning life, such as sighing or convulsive twitching, a vein may be opened. The throat may be tickled to excite a propensity to vomit, and a teaspoonful of warm water administered to test the power of swallowing. If it exist, a table-spoonful of warm diluted wine or brandy may be given. Even if no vestige of returning animation be discovered, these means of recovery should be persisted in for three or four hours. In a late remarkable case, mentioned in a note below, a person who had been under water for ten minutes was restored to life at the end of four hours.* * One of the most extraordinary cases of restoring animation to a human being after it had been suspended for nearly four hours, was mentioned to Mr Baker, the coroner, at an inquest held before that gentleman, and the following particulars relative to it will not only be read with interest, but will instruct and show the necessity, in all cases of immersion in the water, for diligence and perseverance to be used by the medical men called on to assist :-A few evenings since, a young gentleman, named Henry Stanhope, was amusing himself by angling in one of the basins of the West India Dock, when by some incans he fell into the water, and immediately sank. A cry was raised of “a man overboard," and the drags were soon in requisition; but ten minutes clapsed before the body was recovered, life appearing quite extinct. Mr Bloomfield of High Street, Poplar, surgeon, was fetched on the first alarm, and was in attendance when the body was recovered. He immediately had it conveyed to the receiving-house in the docks, and placed in a warm bath. It was then taken out, wrapped in blankets, and bottles of hot water applied to the chest and the soles of the feet. Several of the dock labourers were then called in, and were ordered to rub the body. This they did for about a quarter of an hour, when it appeared to get colder and more livid about the face. By their pressure and rubbing a great quantity of mud began to ooze from mouth, upon seeing which Mr Bloomfield ordered them to at their exertions. In half an hour the muscles began to Never leave a candle burning at your bedside, a table when you go to bed, except it be a rush, or floating light, burning in a basin at a considera distance from the bed or window curtains. The place for setting the light is on the hearth. Never put hot cinders or ashes into a bucket to aside in a closet. If you light candles with pieces of paper, takethat the burning paper is completely trampled out a being used. It is always safest to light candles 2. lamps with a small wax taper, which can be at ca blown out. In large manufactories, where there a many lamps or gas-burners to light, let the g apparatus be a small hand-lamp, which shall charge of a particular person in the premises. Never blow gas lights out; always turn them and turn off the gas at the main stop-cock at the c Should the gas, from any cause, have escxped, and smell be suddenly and offensively felt, at once ter the supply at the meter or stop-cock, and open the dows to allow the entrance of fresh air. "Be curr not to take a lighted candle into the apartment ski the escape has taken place." Cause the chimneys to be swept once in three or oftener if necessary, so as to prevent the lated soot from catching fire. Sometimes houses set on fire from beams which encroach upon th neys. House builders ought to be particularly sta in preventing any part of the woodwork from ouBAZ the flues. The following are advices how to act when the clas trophe of fire actually takes place : Chimney on fire. To extinguish speedily the fire. chimney, it is only necessary to hang over the fire-pi a piece of wet carpet or blanket: some handfuls salt thrown into the fire at the same time will great aid the extinction. Unless to prevent the chance timbers in the walls catching fire, it would be genera. preferable to allow the burning in the chimney to e haust itself. Clothes catching fire.—The moment you see that y clothes are on fire, remain still and collected; do on any account, run away in a fright. If there br. loose rug, carpet, or table-cover at hand, snatch t and roll it tightly about you. If you can get this dơ smartly, the flames will immediately be extingunt Should no cloth of any kind be at hand, and no one 1o present to give assistance, lay yourself down on t floor, and try to extinguish the flames by rolling y self about, always taking care to keep the garmut close together as possible. If a man be present, him take off his coat and wrap it round you ; and if a woman, her shawl will answer the same purpose. one or other means, such as are here pointed cut, i fire will be stifled, and perhaps the only personal injury will be some slight scorching of the hands, which m... not be regarded in averting an infinitely greater ev House on fire.-In making way through a bar : house, we ought not, if it be full of smoke, to upright, for then we shall run the risk of suffocata ~ loose their rigidity, and a slight vibration of them was eker" - |