gine Committee for the
introduction of a land steam fire-engine, and although he did not live
to witness the present remarkable development of these machines, he
was enabled to employ the first one in the brigade with much
advantage.

We may quote here from a brief but excellent memoir of Mr. Braidwood,
which appeared in the annual report of the Institution of Civil
Engineers for 1861:

"As early as 1841, the Government began to profit by his
experience, the Lords of the Admiralty having in that year
consulted him on the subject of floating fire-engines for
the various dockyards. These were eventually constructed
from his designs and under his superintendence. In the
following year he inspected all the dockyards, and reported
fully on each, with regard to both floating and land
fire-engines, the supply of water, the alterations of
buildings to prevent spread of fire, and the proper care
required in dangerous trades. From this time, although not
holding any appointment, he acted as Government consulting
engineer on all questions relating to fire prevention and
extinction, and he advised from time to time the precautions
to be taken for the protection of the royal palaces and
various other public buildings. This position enabled him,
not without a great deal of opposition, to induce the
Government to adopt in all its departments a uniform size of
hose-coupling. This is the one which he introduced in
Edinburgh, and known as the London Fire Brigade coupling, is
now in almost universal use; its application has been found
comparatively of as much utility for fire-brigade purposes,
as the adoption of the Whitworth gauges of screw-bolts for
mechanical engineering.

"Although so fully occupied, he never refused advice on
professional matters to all who sought it. The various dock
companies, public institutions, country fire brigades,
private firms, &c., benefited largely by his experience. The
numerous inquiries from foreign countries and the colonies
with regard to the best means of extinguishing fires, also
made great inroads on his time. In 1833 he became an
Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers, to which,
in 1844, he contributed a valuable paper 'On the means of
rendering large supplies of Water available in case of Fire,
&c.,' for which he