IN CASE OF FIRE

Southland Times, Issue 19478, 30 March 1922, Page 6

IN CASE OF FIRE

NOVEL MEANS OF ESCAPE. DEMONSTRATION AT LORNE FARM. For some time past the Southland HosBoard has been considering the necessity of installing more up-to-date lifesaving appliances at its institution at Lome Farm, and recently requested Captain Driscoll, who for many years was a member of the Dunedin City Fire Brigade, and who is at present in charge of the fire department at the Seacliff Mental Hospital, to give a demonstration of the canvas chute method which is in use there. The demonstration was given at Lome Farm yesterday afternoon in the presence of several members of the Hospital Board, the Board's architect, Mr C. H. Roberts, and the Medical Superintendent of the Southland Hospital, Dr Owen Johnston.

The canvas chute is quite a simple arrangement and cnosists of a large canvas funnel, which is suspended from, one of the windows of the upper storey of the building and is brought down at a gradual slope towards the ground at the other end, where it can either be held or kept taut by means of ropes attached to pegs driven jnto the ground. A box arrangement at the window prevents any possibility of anyone wishing to_descend by means of the chute from falling to the ground. The chute is stored in this box when not in use, and a few seconds only is required to suspend it and have it ready in case of necessty. This, together with the fact that the patients can be passed down the chute in quick succession, makes the appliance particularly effective and provides a way of escape when all other means of exit have been cut off. Yesterday’s demonstration was entirely successful and one could imagine that even as a pastime the chute would become popular. Members of the Hospital Board and nurses of the institution passed down the chute and appeared to enjoy the experience, several electing to repeat the operation. One of the oldest inmates of the institution was so pleased with the sensation that, after sliding down in the ordinary way, he deeded that he would like to go down head first and evidently found it equally enjoyable. , An inspection of the institution discloses that more efficient means of escape in case of fire are badly needed. Certainly it is well supplied with fire extinguishers but in the event of these being unable to cope with any outbreak, the stairway and several badly constructed fire-escapes are the only means of exit. It would be impossible to remove the more helpless inmates by way of the fire-escapes and, should the stairway be cut off by fire, only the more active one would have any hope of rescue. The canvas chute should eliminate much of this danger and those who witnessed the demonstration carried out by Captain Driscoll yesterday were very favourably impressed. It is‘more than probable that the Hospital Board will instal one or more of these at Lome Farm and Captain Driscoll has consented to leave the chute in Invercargill in the event of the Board desiring to call tenders for constructing them. If the necessary arrangements can be made, Captain Driscoll has expressed his willingness to give a public demonstration to-day.