Fire grenades - aesthetic fire extinguishers of the Victorian era (12 photos)

An early type of fire extinguisher, popular in the late 1800s, was the fire grenade. The grenade resembled a regular glass bottle or a modern light bulb, but was larger and filled with salt water.





In homes, they were stored in metal brackets on the wall or any other convenient place, from where they could be quickly removed and thrown into the source of a fire. The glass bulb would break on contact, and the water contained inside would help to extinguish the flames.



Salt water was used instead of regular water, as it has a lower freezing point. This kept the water liquid even in the harsh winter. Some grenades were equipped with a spring-loaded trigger that sprayed water like a sprinkler.





The fire grenade first appeared in the 1870s. The earliest types were hand-blown, etched with decorative designs, and often painted. Sometimes the glass containers were clear, with the water inside tinted blue or red with dyes. After the 19th century, the fancy blown shapes began to disappear, and more simple designs with smooth, frosted, or clear glass began to prevail.



Early garnets contained salt water mixed with ammonium chloride. When heated, the ammonium chloride produces fumes that should help suppress fire, at least in theory. Beginning around 1900, fire grenade manufacturers began using another fire suppressant, carbon tetrachloride (carbon tetrachloride), which is a liquid at room temperature and turns into a gas when heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (76 degrees Celsius). Carbon tetrachloride gas is heavier than air, so it settles and helps smother the flames.



Unfortunately, the substance is extremely toxic to humans. Exposure to the vapors can affect the central nervous system, cause liver and kidney degeneration, and long-term exposure can even lead to coma or death. Chronic exposure to carbon tetrachloride can cause liver and kidney damage and lead to cancer. At high temperatures, TCA can produce phosgene gas, a chemical weapon used during World War I.



Carbon tetrachloride was also used in a variety of industrial processes, including as a solvent for oils, fats, varnishes, waxes, and resins, as a coolant, and in lava lamps. In 1911, the Pyrene Manufacturing Company of Delaware patented a small portable fire extinguisher.



It differed from a fire grenade in that the extinguisher consisted of a brass bottle with a built-in hand pump that was used to eject a stream of liquid towards the fire. Since the bottle was not under pressure, it could be easily refilled after use. Such extinguishers were often used in airplanes and cars. It was not until 1970 that carbon tetrachloride was banned from use in consumer products.



Today, such fire extinguishers are quite valuable collectibles, but they must be handled with extreme caution, since some of them are still filled with toxic chemicals.