explosive and dangerous. All cans containing either one should be
plainly marked to avoid mistakes, and should not be kept in or near the
building. Many cleaning and polishing compounds contain naphtha, and
should therefore be handled with extreme caution.
Never leave any of these cans uncovered. Beware of leaks in the cans,
and never forget that you are handling a dangerous material.
_Hot ashes_ cause many fires. They should never be thrown into a
wooden box or barrel, or piled up against the house, barn, or fence.
Put them in a metal barrel with a metal cover. Do not put waste paper,
rags, or rubbish in the ash barrel. Ashes will sometimes take fire of
themselves, by spontaneous combustion, if they are wet. This is why it
is unsafe to leave an ash pile near a fence or building.
_Waste_ papers, rubbish, greasy cloths, oily waste and rags should be
destroyed. They should never be allowed to collect in cellars, attics,
or closets, under the stairs or in the yard. Keep the whole house
clean. Dust, dirt, and rubbish are fire-breeders. This is especially
true in factories, shops, fruit and grocery stores, schoolhouses,
churches, and all public buildings. It is cheaper to throw away
barrels, boxes, papers, sawdust, painter's cloths, old rags--waste of
any kind--than to burn it up by setting the house on fire.
THE KITCHEN FIRE
Tommy Taylor was a lazy boy,--there wasn't a doubt of it. He didn't
like to get up in the morning, and he didn't like to go to school. When
his mother asked him to bring in some wood, he always said, "Can't you
wait a minute?" and if she wanted him to do an errand he would answer,
"Oh dear! Must I do it now?"
He liked to play ball, of course; and he would spend the whole
afternoon building a snow fort or carrying pails of water to make a
hill icy for coasting; but he didn't call that work. It was play, and
Tommy wasn't one bit lazy about playing.
One noon when Tommy and his sister were eating dinner their mother
said, "I'm going shopping this afternoon, and I may not get home until
half-past five. I want both of you children to come straight home from
school, and at five o'clock you can build the kitchen fire and put the
tea-kettle on the stove. If you have a good fire it will not take me
long to get supper ready.
"Alice may take the key because she is older and more careful. She may
build the fire, too; but you, Tommy, must get the wood, and help her
all you can."
Alice was only twelve years old, two years older than Tommy, but she
felt very much grown up as she started off for school with the key of
the back door in her pocket.
"Wait for me to-night at the schoolyard gate," she told her brother, as
they separated at the door to go to their class-rooms.
"All right," said Tommy, "I will wait for you." But he forgot his
promise when Jack Marsh whispered to him that the boys were going to
build a snow fort in his yard; and he went whooping off with them the
minute school was over, eager for the fun of a snow fight.
It was nearly five o'clock when he remembered that his mother had told
him to go straight home from school, but he stopped for just one more
snowball battle, and when he finally reached home he found Alice at the
door watching for him.
"Here, Tommy," she said, "take this basket and get me some chips in the
wood-shed. There are enough big sticks for the fire; but you forgot to
bring in the kindling this noon."
"I didn't have time," said Tommy, hurrying off with the basket; "but
I'll get you some good chips in a minute."
When he began to pick up the chips, he found that they were all wet
with snow, for the last time it stormed he had left the door open and
the snow had blown in on the woodpile. There were some dry chips in a
farther corner, but it was too much work to climb over the wood to get
them, and besides, Alice was in a hurry; so he picked up the wet chips,
shook off the snow, and carried the basketful into the kitchen.
"I don't believe I can build the fire with this kind of kindling," said
Alice, as she began laying it in the stove. "It is so wet that it will
not burn."
"Oh, yes, it will, if you use paper enough," her brother told her, and
when Alice struck a match and lighted the fire it went roaring up the
chimney.
"I knew those chips would burn," said Tommy. "Now put in some big
sticks of wood."
Just then the fire stopped roaring, and when Alice lifted the cover to
find out what was the matter, she could see nothing but a thin curl of
smoke.
"Put in some more paper," her brother advised, "you didn't have enough
before."
So Alice put in more paper and chips, and lighted the fire again.
It burned up brightly for a minute and then settled down into a
discouraging smoulder.
"Oh dear!" she sighed, as she took off the cover and looked into the
stove once more, "there is nothing but a tiny blaze down in one corner.
Run and get some dry chips, Tommy. I can't do anything with these wet
ones."
"I'll tell you what to do," said her brother, who was putting on his
slippers and didn't want to go out to the shed again; "pour in some
kerosene. That will make the fire burn. I saw Mother do it once when
she was in a hurry."
"That's so," said Alice. "I didn't think of that," and she went to the
closet to get the kerosene can. It was so light when she lifted it that
she thought it must be empty; but when she shook it she found there was
a very little oil in the bottom of the can.
"Here, I'll pour it on for you," said Tommy, and as Alice raised the
cover of the stove, he tipped up the can and poured a tiny stream of
oil over the wet wood.
The little blaze in the corner was still flickering feebly. It saw the
oil coming and rushed up to meet it. "Whee-ee-ee!" it cried, "there's
something that will burn. That's just what I like;" and it ran merrily
across the wood and flashed up to the can in Tommy's hand.
Tommy was so frightened that he let the can fall on the floor, but not
before the oil in it had caught fire. Fortunately there were only a few
drops left, so the can did not explode; but the wood and paper in the
stove were now burning furiously. There was a terrible roaring in the
chimney, and clouds of black smoke poured out into the room.
"Oh, Tommy," screamed Alice, "what shall we do? We have set the house
on fire!"
"No, we haven't," replied her brother; "it is dying down a little now.
Open the windows and let out some of this smoke."
Alice opened the windows, and when the roaring had ceased, and the
chips had burned to ashes, the two children sat down and looked at each
other. Neither one could speak a word.
Mrs. Taylor came in just then, and when Alice saw her she burst into
tears.
"What is the matter?" questioned her mother, sitting down and taking
the child in her arms; but Alice could only sob that they almost set
the house on fire.
"It was all my fault," spoke up Tommy. "I got some wet chips to build
the fire, because I was too lazy to climb over the woodpile and get
some dry ones. Then when they wouldn't burn I told Alice to pour on
kerosene."
Mrs. Taylor put her arm around Tommy and drew him to her side. "My
son," she said, "it was your fault that the chips were wet; but it
was ten times my fault that you poured kerosene on the fire. If it
has taught you a lesson, it has taught me one, too. I shall never use
kerosene again to light a fire. It is a very dangerous thing to do.
"We often read in the paper of serious fires that have been caused in
just such a way, sometimes even with a loss of life. Promise me now
that you will never pour another drop of kerosene into the stove as
long as you live, and I will give you my promise, too. Now let's all
build the fire, together."
So Tommy ran cheerfully out to the shed and brought in a big basketful
of dry chips, Alice crumpled up the paper, her mother lighted the
match, and in a few minutes the kitchen fire was blazing merrily.
_Why did Tommy bring in the wet chips?_
_Why did not the fire burn well at first?_
_What did Tommy suggest using? Why? What happened?_
_What might have happened if the kerosene can had been full?_
_What is the proper use of kerosene?_
RULES FOR THE USE OF KEROSENE
Always keep kerosene in a metal can.
Always keep the can tightly closed, and keep it as far from the stove
as possible.
Never use kerosene to light a fire.
Never, never use it to start up a slow fire.
You will probably set yourself or the house on fire if you do.
Fill all the lamps and oil-stoves by daylight. If you must fill them
after dark, never do so while they are still lighted. The flame in the
lamp might set fire to the kerosene vapor in the air, and this in turn
ignite the oil. If the fire runs up the stream of oil into the can,
the can will explode.
Remember that the three most dangerous things in the world for setting
fires are _kerosene_, _gasoline_, and _matches_.
HOW NOT TO HAVE FIRES
II
There is an old saying that "A fool can build a fire, but it takes
a wise man to keep it burning." This is not true of the fire in the
kitchen stove, which should always be built by a wise and thoughtful
person. The kitchen fire has caused the loss of many lives and an
enormous amount of property.
In laying the fire use paper and dry kindlings. Never pour on kerosene.
Do not fill the stove too full of paper, as the smoke may accumulate
and blow open the door, thus scattering the burning embers around the
room.
After the fire is burning well, close the drafts. Do not allow the
stove to get red-hot, as it will not only warp the covers and crack
the stove, but it may set fire to the woodwork on the walls or floor.
A roaring fire will sometimes set fire to the soot in the chimney, or
carry burning sparks to the roof of the house.
The stove should be set at least eighteen inches away from the
woodwork, and the floor beneath it should be covered with brick, tiles,
or a sheet of metal.
Never leave the house, or go to bed, when the drafts of the stove or
furnace are open. Overheated furnaces have caused many serious fires
in the night. Even a low fire will sometimes burn up unexpectedly,
especially if the wind blows hard enough to create a strong draft. Do
not allow waste or rubbish to collect near the furnace, and do not keep
the wood-box near the stove.
_Chimneys_ should be carefully inspected, and repaired when it is
necessary, as they frequently crack with the settling of the house.
They should be cleaned occasionally to prevent the accumulation of
soot, which will burn with a fierce heat, setting the attic or roof on
fire.
If there are open chimney-holes in any of the rooms in the house do
not stuff them, or cover them, with paper, especially if they are in
the same flues which are used for stoves, furnaces, or fire-places.
Chimney-holes should always be covered with a tightly-fitted cap or
"thimble" made of metal. These caps can be bought of a tin-smith for a
small sum.
If the soot in the chimney is on fire, shake on salt or sulphur to
extinguish the flames.
_Fire-places_ add a great deal to the attractiveness of a house, but
they are especially dangerous if there are children in the family. The
sparks often fly out into the room, setting fire to rugs or clothing;
babies crawl too near the open blaze; or little girls stand too near
the hearth and their thin dresses or aprons are drawn into the fire by
the strong upward draft.
Every fire-place should have a hearth of bricks or tiles at least two
feet wide, and the fire should be protected by a wire screen. If there
are young children in the household, there should also be a fender to
keep them at a safe distance from the flames. Some kinds of light wood,
especially chestnut and hemlock, will snap and produce many sparks.
These sparks fly out in all directions unless the fire is covered with
a wire screen. Do not build a roaring fire in the fire-place, as it may
carry sparks to the roof.
All fire-places, open grates, and gas-logs should be surrounded by
bricks or tiles, so that the woodwork will not catch fire. In many
cities there are laws regulating the construction of chimneys and
fire-places.
_Pipes_, _cigars_, and _cigarettes_ have caused nearly $10,000,000
worth of damage by fire. Lighted matches thrown away by careless
smokers have added $15,000,000 more to this enormous waste. Every one
of these fires was absolutely unnecessary. Cigar and cigarette stubs
should not be thrown into waste baskets, rubbish heaps, dry grass or
leaves. They should never be dropped from the window, as they might set
fire to an awning, and they should not be allowed to fall through a
grating where there may be a collection of waste paper and rubbish. If
you see a lighted cigar or cigarette stub in the street, crush it under
your heel until the fire is all out. If there is one in your house,
throw it in the stove. In this way you may save property and human life.
_Christmas_ and _Fourth of July_ are the two happiest days in the whole
year for children, yet oftentimes they are followed by sorrow and
suffering.
Christmas trees, when they are lighted by candles, are easily set on
fire, as they are often decorated with festoons of paper, and cotton
"frost," which comes in contact with the tiny flames. Many of the
ornaments on the tree are made of celluloid. These ornaments catch fire
easily and flare up with a quick hot flame, thus setting fire to the
branches, which are full of pitch and resin and burn freely.
No one but a grown person should light the candles. Children should
be kept at a safe distance from the tree, doors and windows should be
closed to exclude the draft, a constant watch should be kept while
the candles are burning, and they should all be extinguished before a
single present is taken from the tree. This is especially important if
the presents are distributed by Santa Claus, as his long beard, and the
cotton fur on his clothing, are easily ignited from the candles.
The celebration of the Fourth of July is one of the most serious
problems in the country. Fireworks are dangerous play-things and
should be used with the greatest caution. Every year many persons are
killed or injured, and valuable property is destroyed by the careless
use of fireworks.
There are some kinds of fireworks which should never be used under any
circumstances. Among these are cannon crackers, fire balloons, toy
pistols, toy cannon, bombs, and revolvers firing blank cartridges.
On the day before the Fourth, all yards should be cleared of rubbish,
as falling sparks might set it on fire. During the day of the
celebration cellar windows should be closed, and stables and barns
should be opened only when necessary.
In many cities the sale of dangerous fireworks is prohibited by law;
but a common fire-cracker, a Roman candle, or a sky-rocket may cause
serious damage if it is not handled properly.
THE SUNSHINE BAND
The Sunshine Band was made up of twelve little girls, one for each of
the twelve letters in their name. They wore badges of yellow ribbon
just the color of sunshine, with the letters S. B. painted on them in
white, and every time they had a meeting they sang their own special
song;--
"Scatter sunshine all along your way,
Cheer and bless and brighten every passing day."
They had a secret, too, and a motto. Their motto was "Scatter
Sunshine," and their secret--but I'm not going to tell you their
secret. They didn't even tell me. I just guessed it.
They met every Saturday afternoon, first at one house and then
another. Each little girl was always expected to tell a sunshine story,
and if any one had disobeyed the rules of the club she had to pay a
fine. Perhaps you will think that the rules were not so very hard to
remember, but every once in a while a penny went clinking down to the
bottom of their bank.
First of all they were expected to bring sunshine into their own homes.
They must say "Good-morning" cheerfully, no matter if the day were
cloudy and dismal. They must come to the table with clean hands and
faces and a pleasant smile; and they must not frown or look cross if
their mother asked them to wipe the dishes when they wanted to play out
of doors.
Then all day long they must keep their eyes and ears open to find some
helpful thing to do, no matter how small it might be; and if, at night,
they had not done one tiny useful thing they must make a black cross
against the day.
You would hardly believe how much sunshine they could make with very
little trying, and how many pleasant tales they had to tell at their
meetings.
Two of the girls gathered flowers every week for one of the hospitals;
one did errands for a neighbor who was lame; three, who had sweet
voices, gave little concerts at the home for aged women, and another
read aloud to a blind girl every Monday afternoon after school.
Sometimes they packed boxes of old books and toys to send to a mission
school in the South, and once they shook every penny out of their bank
to buy fruit for a little sick girl.
Miss Hastings, who was the teacher of their class in Sunday-school,
was also the leader of the band; and whenever they had an especially
good sunshine story they carried it to her. She kept their badge of
honor, too, unless some one was wearing it as a reward for good service.
[Illustration: In the largest cities the firemen find their hardest
work]
One Saturday afternoon, as soon as their meeting was over, they hurried
off to her house. "Oh! Miss Hastings," they cried, when she opened the
door, "Hilda Browning told the best story of all to-day, and we want
her to have the badge right away."
"What is it, Hilda?" questioned Miss Hastings, after she had led the
way to her sunny living-room.
"Tell her," urged all the other girls when Hilda hung back, her face
rosy with blushes.
"It was nothing," said Hilda shyly, "I just happened to be there at the
right time. That was all."
"Happened to be where?" asked the teacher, "and what do you mean by the
right time?"
"At Mrs. Hazen's," said three or four of the girls at once. "The
curtain caught fire from the gas jet and Hilda tore it down and threw
it out of the window."
"Wait a minute!" begged their teacher, putting her hands over her ears;
"I can't hear what you say when you all talk together. Now, Hilda,
begin at the beginning."
So, with many promptings from the girls, who had heard the story from
Mrs. Hazen herself, Hilda told how she had saved the house from fire.
"You know Mrs. Hazen has been sick with rheumatism for over a year,"
she said. "Her daughter, who has always taken care of her, has gone
away for a two weeks' vacation, so I have been going there every
afternoon after school to stay for an hour while the nurse takes a walk.
"Yesterday I said I would stay two hours because it was Friday and
I didn't have any lessons to learn; and I took over my 'Youth's
Companion' to read a story.
"It was such a cloudy afternoon that it grew dark while I was reading
and Mrs. Hazen told me to light the gas. When I finished the story she
asked me to open the bed-room window to let in some fresh air, and then
bring her a glass of water.
"As I opened the kitchen door to get the water, a gust of wind blew the
muslin window-curtain into the gas flame. It blazed up in an instant
and Mrs. Hazen screamed for help."
"And when Hilda ran into the room and saw the curtain on fire she
pulled it down with her bare hands and threw it out of the window," put
in Ethel Strong. "The fingers on her right hand are all blistered, but
she saved the house from catching fire."
"Perhaps she saved Mrs. Hazen's life, too," added Dorothy Hovey. "You
know Mrs. Hazen has the rheumatism so badly that she cannot take a
single step, and if she had been alone no one knows what might have
happened."
"Now, Miss Hastings, don't you think Hilda deserves the badge of
honor?" spoke up Alice Hunter.
"Yes, she certainly does," replied Miss Hastings, and, as she spoke,
she took from its box a gold pin with the letters S. S. in blue enamel,
and fastened it at Hilda's throat.
"Not all of us may ever have an opportunity to save a house from fire,
or a life from danger," she added; "but if Hilda had not been doing a
little kindness she would not have been ready in time of need to do a
greater one."
_Why did the girls call themselves the Sunshine Band?_
_What were some of their rules?_
_What did the letters S. S. mean on their badge of honor?_
_What kind things did they do?_
_How did the muslin curtain catch fire?_
_How could this have been prevented?_
_Why is it dangerous to have a gas jet near a window?_
_How should all gas flames be protected?_
A gas jet should always be protected by a glass globe or a wire frame,
and the bracket should be rigid so that it cannot be folded back
against the wood-work, and cannot swing against curtains or draperies.
If the curtain catches fire, pull it down quickly and smother the
flames with a heavy rug. A woman should never attempt to stamp out the
flames, as her skirts will easily catch fire.
If there is an odor of gas anywhere in the house, especially in a dark
closet, do not search for the leak with a match or a lighted candle. If
you should happen to find the leak you might cause an explosion or set
the house on fire.
VACATION AT GRANDPA'S
Did I ever tell you about the time we boys set Grandpa Snow's barn on
fire? It happened long ago, but I shall never forget it, if I live to
be a hundred years old.
Kenneth and I always thought no better luck would ever come to us than
to be told that we might spend the last week of July and the whole
month of August with Grandpa and Grandma Snow.
Grandpa Snow owned a large farm up among the Green Mountains, and as
our home was in the city, you can imagine how much it meant to us to
hear that we were to spend five long weeks in the country.
I was eleven years old and Kenneth was eight, and as we had to change
cars but once, Father said we might go all the way alone.
We left the station at eight o'clock in the morning, in the care of a
good-natured, obliging conductor who promised to see that we changed
cars safely at White River Junction, and the long ride in the train
seemed just a part of the vacation fun.
I truly think that we did just as Mother would have liked us to do all
that day. She looked so sweet and earnest when she bade us good-bye and
said, "Now, boys, be kind and polite to everyone who speaks to you,"
that we couldn't help remembering her words.
There was a tired-looking woman on the train. She had a little boy who
was tired, too, and he kept crying and fussing, until at last Kenneth
said he was going to take him over in our seat and amuse him.
The boy was a jolly little fellow, about the age of our dear little
baby sister at home, and we three had such a good time together
that we could hardly believe our ears when the brakeman shouted out,
"Walden! Walden!"
We gathered our bags and boxes together in a hurry, and bade good-bye
to our new-found friends. In a minute we were out on the station
platform, and the train was whizzing away without us; but we didn't
have time to wonder if any one were coming to meet us, for down the
road came Grandpa Snow, rattling along in a big hay-rack and waving his
old straw hat at us.
"Hello, boys!" he said, as he pulled up his horses beside the platform;
"we were pretty busy in the hay-field to-day, so I thought I could come
right along, and give you a ride in my new hay-wagon. There's no fancy
top on it, but there is plenty of room for both of you young chaps and
all your baggage. You'll like it better than an automobile ride, I'll
wager. So this is Leslie and Kenneth, is it? You surely have grown!
Why, I can hardly tell one from the other, but I'll trust Grandma to
know. She always seems to understand boys pretty well."
After a hug, and a hand-shake, and a hearty laugh, we jogged along
up the road. Even if we were only boys I don't believe we shall ever
forget that ride. It was late in the afternoon, and the air was so cool
and sweet that it hardly seemed as if it could be the same hot, dusty
day we began in the city. We could smell the cedar and fir-balsam all
along the way, and every little while there was a bird-note like a
sweet-toned bell.
It wasn't very long before we spied Grandpa's house, and dear old
Grandma in the door waving her apron to us.
"Well, Mother," called out Grandpa, as we drove into the yard, "here
are two new hired men for you. How do you think you will like them?"
By the way Grandma hugged us and kissed us, I guess she thought we
would suit her pretty well. I remember something that suited us, too,
and that was the good things we had to eat that night.