Much of the story is involved in obscurity, or it may be there was little story to tell; but by the year 1726, Newsham had constructed satisfactory fire-engines in London; and Braithwaite the engineer—who with Ericsson constructed the "Novelty" to compete with Stephenson's "Rocket" at the locomotive contest at Rainhill in 1829—built a steam fire-engine about 1830, though it was not until thirty years, or more, later that the use of the machine became general.

As to Fire-Brigades, the Insurance Companies, which began to appear after the Great Fire of 1666, were wont to employ separate staffs of men to extinguish fires; but by the year 1833, the more important had united, and the London Fire-Brigade had been formed under the control of Mr. James Braidwood. Many provincial towns followed the metropolitan model in forming their brigades.

Together with the development of the Fire-Engine and of efficient brigades has been the introduction of various other appliances, such as Fire-Escapes, Chemical Extinctors, Water-Towers, and the great improvement in the water supply. Nothing is more striking in the history of conflagrations than the comparison between the dry state of the New River pipes at the Great Fire of 1666 and the copious flood of five million gallons poured into the city in a few hours by the same company to quench the great Cripplegate fire of November, 1897.

But, indeed, the whole realm of Fire Extinguishment is a world of constant improvement and strain after perfection. To describe something of these efforts, and trace out the main features of their story, is the object of the present volume.

CONTENTS.

CHAP.PAGE
I. THE HORSED FIRE-ESCAPE APPEARS. AN EXCITING SCENE[9]
II. THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. HERO'S"SIPHON." HOW THE ANCIENTS STROVE TO EXTINGUISH FIRES[17]
III. IN MEDIÆVAL DAYS. AN EPOCH-MAKING FIRE[20]
IV. THE PEARL-BUTTON MAKER'S CONTRIVANCE. THE MODERN FIRE-ENGINE[36]
V. EXTINGUISHMENT BY COMPANY. THE BEGINNINGS OF FIRE INSURANCE[47]
VI. THE STORY OF JAMES BRAIDWOOD[53]
VII. THE THAMES ON FIRE. THE DEATH OF BRAIDWOOD[58]
VIII. VIII. A PERILOUS SITUATION. CAPTAIN SHAW.IMPROVEMENTS OF THE METROPOLITAN BOARD AND OF THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL[67]
IX. A VISIT TO HEADQUARTERS[83]
X. HOW RECRUITS ARE TRAINED[98]
XI. SOME STORIES OF THE BRIGADE[111]
XII. FIRE-ESCAPES AND FIRE-FLOATS[123]
XIII. CHEMICAL FIRE-ENGINES. FIRE-PROOFING, OR MUSLIN THAT WILL NOT FLAME[134]
XIV. THE WORK OF THE LONDON SALVAGE CORPS. THE GREAT CRIPPLEGATE FIRE[144]
XV. ACROSS THE WATER[156]