prevent their chemical union, their inflammatory
forces are thereby destroyed, and the flame
is at once extinguished.

The means of immediately generating this
gaseous vapour had, after numerous experiments
during many years, been discovered by
Mr. Phillips. With this composition, his
machine, called the Fire Annihilator, was
charged.

He pointed to the small model house. It
was made of iron, and filled with combustible
materials. He had had the honour of
exhibiting it before many crowned heads.

"Like the Wizard of the North!" muttered
Mr. Diggs, looking contemptuously at the
model.

The fuel within it, is now ignited. The
flames rapidly spread, and ascend to the
upper floor. A thick smoke issues from the
trap-door on the roof.

"Here," said Mr. Phillips, "is a house on
fire! Some of the inmates are trying to
escape by the trap-door on the roof. They
make their way out. The fire-escapes of the
Royal Society are in attendance with their
usual promptitude; their courageous men
are ascending the ladders to assist the
inmates in their descent. But where are the
inmates? Two of them have fallen down
somewhere, another has actually got back
into the attic. The reason is, that life cannot
exist in that smoke which the fire generates."

A lighted match being held in it, instantly
went out. This was repeated quickly, once
or twice. It always went out. The interior
of the house was full of flames. One of the
little Fire Annihilators was now applied to
the door of the model. The flames sunk to
nothing almost immediately. A thick vapour
was left in their place. But in this vapour
life can exist. Mr. Phillips again lights a
match, and applies it to the vapour issuing
through the trap-door. The match continues
to burn. Mr. Phillips then thrusts his arm
through the door, and holds the match in the
interior of the house, where it still continues
to burn amidst the vapour. In this vapour
human life can equally exist.

"Don't believe it! " muttered Mr. Diggs,
amidst the otherwise unanimous applause, in
which was lost his additional request,—"Set
fire to the real house, and have done with it!"

Mr. Phillips here described his machine.
Its various complications had been reduced to
a simple form and action. As he has printed
this for general circulation, it will be sufficient
to state that the ordinary size is less than that
of a small upright iron coal-skuttle, and its
weight not greater than can be easily carried
by man or woman to any part of the house.
It is charged with a compound of charcoal,
nitre, and gypsum, moulded into the form of a
large brick. The igniter is a glass tube
inserted in the top of the brick, inclosing two
phials—one filled with a mixture of chlorate
of potassa and sugar, the other containing a
few drops of sulphuric acid. A slight blow
upon a knob drives down a pin, which breaks
the phials, and the different mixtures coming
in contact, ignite the whole; and the gas of
this, acting upon a water chamber contained
in the machine, produces a steam, and the
whole escapes forcibly in a dense and expanding
cloud.

Preparations were now made for setting fire
to the three-roomed house. A "sensation"
passed over the room, and several ladies began
to rise from their chairs, and retire from the
semicircle in front of the lecture-stage. Mr.
Phillips assured them there was no danger,
as he had a perfect command over the flames;
at the same time, he requested the company
to observe that he had purposely arranged
that every disadvantage should be against
him. The house was full of combustible
materials—the whole building was in a
thorough draught (it was indeed) and they
would observe that the commencement of the
full force of the fire would be almost
immediate, and without any of the gradual
advances which were usual in almost all
conflagrations. Lastly, he called upon them to
take note that the fury of the flames would
be such that no life could exist near them for
a single instant.

Without further words a lighted match is
applied to one of the tarred and turpentined
shavings that hang in the ground-floor of the
house.

It sparkles—blazes—and in one moment
the lower room is full of flames! In the next,
they have risen to the floor above—they
crackle, roar, and beat about, springing up to
the roof, and darting out tongues and forks to
the right and left of the building, while a
dense hot cloud of smoke, full of red fragments
of shavings and other embers comes floating
and dancing over the heads of the assembled
company. Everybody has arisen from his
seat,—ladies—gentlemen,—and now all the
visitors, are crowding towards the other end
of the building! The whole place is filled
with the roar of flames, the noise of voices,
hurrying feet, and rustling garments—and
clouds of hot smoke!

But suddenly a man enters the building from
a side-door, bearing a portable Fire
Annihilator of the size we have mentioned; he is
followed by a second. The machines are
vomiting forth a dense white vapour. They
enter just within the door-way of the blazing
house. A change instantly takes place in the
colour and action of the flames, as though they
grew pale in presence of their master. They
sink. There is nothing but darkness—and the
dense white vapour coiling about in triumph.

"Life can now exist!" cries Mr. Phillips,
rushing into the house, and ascending the
blackened stairs. Mr. Diggs (hoping he
might be suffocated) instantly follows. He
gains the top of the ladder, and plants one
foot on the floor. He cannot see for the
thick vapour. The hand of Mr. Phillips
assists him, and they both go to the window