History of fire extinguishers: Who invented extinguishers?

[Guest JoanFerrus]

My name is Joan Ferrús. I’m a journalist and I work in a cultural quiz show for Antena 3, one of Spain’s largest televisions, in Barcelona called ¡Ahora Caigo! (in the USA it is known as “Who’s Still Standing?”).

My work consists in writing the questions and checking if they are correct and well formulated, in order to be as precise as possible and make sure we don’t spread wrong information to our contestants and our audience. Sometimes, to do this work, I need to contact to some experts, such as you, in this case.

I am now verifying a question: What was the profession of the inventor of the modern fire extinguisher? SOLDIER. But, we can really say that Captain William George Manby is the inventor of the modern fire extinguisher? Is it precise enough?

I would appreciate your help very much to check this information, please.

I thank you in advance for your help and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Joan Ferrús

[Tom Sutton]

It appears he was a soldier, author and a man of means, his wife by all account. You need to check out the book below.

In 1813 Manby invented the "Extincteur", the first portable pressurised fire extinguisher. This consisted of a copper vessel of 3 gallons of pearl ash (potassium carbonate) solution pressurised with compressed air.

He also invented many life saving devices the one he appears to be most proud of was On 18 February 1807, as a helpless onlooker, he witnessed a Naval ship, the Snipe run aground 60 yards off Great Yarmouth during a storm, with (according to some accounts) a total of 214 people drowned, including French prisoners of war, women and children. Following this tragedy, Manby experimented with mortars, and so invented the manby mortar, later developed into the breeches buoy, that fired a thin rope from shore into the rigging of a ship in distress. A strong rope, attached to the thin one, could be pulled aboard the ship.

"Walthew, Kenneth."; From Rock And Tempest. The Life Of Captain George William Manby

http://theskipperslibrary.com/categoryview.php?categoryid=28&categoryname=Lighthouses

Check out http://www.museums.n...phies/NCC082681 they could give more information.