Wood can be treated with silicate of soda

which, on the application of a strong heat, fuses into a kind of gla , forming a shield against fire. Cloth or wood impregnated with certain saline substances will not blaze. Modern sky ser apers are of fire-proof construction, Fireproof Wood in Ships. Wherever it is nece ary to use wood in ships it should be rendered fireproof. This can be done by a simple proce , which consists in withdrawing all sap and moisture from the lumber in a vacuum, and then filling the pores with phosphate of ammonia. This mineralized wood cannot be set on fire. Wood treated as above shown is employed exclusively in the following ships of the United States navy: The speedy destruction of the Spanish cruisers in the fight off Santiago and the burning of a Japanese and five Chinese ships during the war between these countries, show the importance of using fireproof wood in the construction of naval ve els. W. from Cape Florida, about 220 miles. They are very considerable in number, but only a few are of any importance. Among these may be mentioned Key West, on which the city of Key West is built.