To fit out a Fire Ship.—The whole breadth of the fire room is to be divided into 9 parts, and troughs laid the whole length of the room. Cross troughs, of communication are laid between them, about 20 in each row, perpendicular to the long troughs. These troughs are usually 4 inches wide, and 4 deep. There are two fire trunks and two fire scuttles on each side, under which the eight fire barrels are to be placed.
The reeds and bavins are to be tied down in the troughs. The curtains are to be nailed up to the beams, equally through the fire room. The ship is not to be primed when fitted out, but only when intended to be fired.
To Prime.
Composition for Priming.
| Saltpetre pulverized | 22 lbs. | 8 oz. |
| Rosin | 2 | 11 |
| Sulphur | 18 | — |
| Mealed powder | 45 | — |
| Linseed oil | 1 pint. | |
All the reeds and bavins are to be taken up, and a little of the above composition sprinkled in the bottom of the troughs; the reeds, &c. to be then gently tied down again. Quick match of 6 or 8 threads doubled must be laid along on the tops of all the reeds &c. and the priming composition strewed over it, and over all the fire room. The covers of all the fire barrels must be cut open, and made to hang down on the sides of the barrels. Leaders of strong quick match must be laid from the reeds to the barrels and to the chambers; and must be tied down to the vents to insure its not falling off. Strong leaders of quick match; 4 or 5 times doubled, must be laid from the reeds to the sally ports; and the sally ports must be connected by quick match, that the whole may take fire at once.
The following method is now adopted of producing an external fire, in addition to the internal fire, before gained by the fire room.
Fire boxes filled with the carcass composition, are distributed in the following manner, in a ship of three masts:
| 1 | Suspended from each of the catheads and davits, | 4 |
| on each side the bow | ||
| 8 | Slung across the bowsprit | 8 |
| 4 | Across each of the outriggers abaft | 8 |
| 2 | From the graplins of each of the | 12 |
| lower yardarms | ||
| 1 | From the deadeyes on each side of the | 6 |
| three round tops | ||
| 1 | From the middle of the inside of the main, fore, | 6 |
| and mizen shrouds | ||
| 44 |
The boxes are suspended by chains and hooks, and those slung across the bowsprit and outriggers, are fixed by staples. The two inner ones are laid with leaders of quick match, which fire instantly, or with portfires, which burn a given time; they communicate with the outer ones by reeds, which are tied down on the bowsprit and outriggers. The boxes hanging from the deadeyes and shrouds, are fired by curtains suspended from the shrouds, the lower one of which hangs immediately over one of the large fire barrels. The two boxes on each yardarm are hung one over the other; the upper one having a leader of quick match carried along the yard from the shrouds; and in burning will no doubt fire the lower one. Besides the boxes, there are fire barrels arranged as follows; 2 half barrels on the forecastle; 2 abaft the main deck, and 4 on the main deck; 2 in each roundtop, placed against the masts; and 4 large fire barrels under fire trunks, to convey fire to the curtains on the shrouds. All these fire barrels and boxes are to be fired by separate leaders of quick match or portfire, in order that any part of the ship may be fired to cover its approach by the smoke; and the remaining part instantaneously upon quitting the ship. It has been found by experiment, that two men with lighted portfires can set fire to the whole of the leaders on the deck, bowsprit, catheads, outriggers, &c. in less than a minute; therefore the risk of trusting to one main leader to the whole, may be avoided.