The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-04-30
SPONTANEOUS coMBusTIoN.


Inc spontaneous combustion of certain
bodies Is not only a subject of interest in g
scIenuhc point of view, but is one of some
concern to our merchants, and the public
/ at large, and particularly to our Insurance
companies We have, therefore, taken
some pains to search out the cases on re-
cord, and to make summary of those that
we have found and we shall now lay them
before our readers in as few words as pos
sible.
FLOUR. In December, 1885, we read,
an explosion took place in Bakery at Tu-
rim. 1t proceeded from the ware house,
where IN the evening boy was string
some flour by the light of a lamp The
house was injured, aud the boy scorched
with the momentary flash which attended
the explosion. The weather was exceed
lngly dry, and the explosion took place on
the falling Of quantity of flour in the bolter.
i F}e baker when boy had witnessed a
similar inflammation in flour Warehouse.
but without the explosion. And one had
also occurred in another bake house.
From the relation of these instances
more at large in the Emporium of the Arts,
it appears that in the first instance there
was an extraction of infammahle air, which
coming ID contact with the light produced
the explosion. In the other two the dry
dust in the warehouse was simply set on
fire by the lamp.
LAMP-BLAcK AND HEMP-sEED OIL
"The conhagration of a frigate belong
ing to the Empress of Russia in the har-
bour of Cronstadt, on board of which there
had been no fire, shews that lamp-black,
by being moistened with hemp-seed oil is
capable of producing L "ae this was PROV
ed by the experiments which the Academy
ofPetersburg made upon the subject by or
der of the Empress" Emp. of Arts and
Sciences.
OILED CLOTHS. The burning Of store
house of sails, which happened at Brest in
1857, was caused by the spontaneous infam-
nation of some oiled cloths, which, after
having been painted on one side and dried
in the sun, were stored away while vet
warm, as was shown by subsequent expert
ments. Ibid
LINEN RAGS AND VEGETABLE sUBsTAN-
CEs. The heaps of linen rags thrown to-
gether in large quantities in paper manu.
factories, the preparation of which is hasten
ed by means of fermentation, often take
fire if not carefully attended to. Fermen-
tation will also produce spontaneous com
bustion and inflammation in other vegeta-
bic substances, as in new hay, wet grain,
madden, malt, &c. If piece of iron be
left in stack of hay in fermentation, in
dammation is almost certain consequence.
Ibid,
! ANIMAL SUBSTANCES. Spontaneous in
dagmation has been known to take place
in animal substances, as in wooien cloth not
secured, heaps of woollen yarn, and cloth
while going to the fullers. These instances
occurred where the substances heaped to-
ggether retained a considerable degree of
moisture as we'll as oil.
MINERAL SUBSTANCES. Pyrites, an
iron ore containing sulphur, if wetted and
exposed to the air, will take fire. Pit coal
I laid in heaps will sometimes infiame sponta-
neously. This is probably owing to the py-
rites which it occasionally contains. An
instance OF this kind occurred in a coal
Iyard in this city near the foot of Rector
street, during the summer of 1922, at the
time OF the prevailing yellow fever.
1t is well known that when water is ad-
mitted to come in contact with quick-lirne.
the heat produced will set fire to wood.
4 Spontaneous infammations are frequent,
4 and their causes various, requiring attention
and vigilance, particularly over depots oil
/ hemp, cordage, lamp-black, pitch, tar, oiled
cloth, &c. which should never be left heap
ed up if they have any moisture in them.
( SUBSTANCES REQUIRING CONTACT OF
FLAME. "Substanees in fermentation are
very often unable to infame of themselves
but the simple contact of fame is sufficient
to kindle them rapidly, as many examples
! demonstrate so that we might make a
separate class of those substances in which
inflammation cannot take place of itself, but
which are set on fire by the approach Of
flame of this we have an example in the
accident which happened in the -four ware
house." Emp. Arts and Sciences.
This is the case with the distillation Of
spirits, ether, alcohol, spirits of turpentine
and in places where our domestic whiskey
is rectifed or converted into neutral spirits
The subtitle and inhammable vapors occa
sionally diffused in the places will take fire
on the approach of lamp or candle.
JournGl Of Commerce.
QUAoKERY AND IMPUDENcE Some short
time ago, Soi-djSGRt doctor sold water of the
FOOL o. Bethesua, winch was to cure all com
plants, if taken at the time when the angel Wis
tied the parent spring, on which occasion Tho
Doctors bottle manifested, he said its sympath,
with its perturbation. Hundreds purchased thu
Bethesda water, and watched for the commo
ton and consequence, with the result TO be ex
)pected. At last, one less patient than the res
went to the doctor, and complained, that though
he kept his eye constantly on the water for
whole year, he had never vet discovered am
thing like the signs of an angel in his bottle
l"That's extremely strange" exclaimed til,
doctor; what sized'bottle did you buy, sir 2"-
Patient; A half guinea one, doctor Doctor
\ 'Oh, that accounts for it. The half guine,
bottles contain so small quantity Of the inval
liable Bethesda water, that the agitation i
scarcely perceptible but if you buy a FIVE gum
ca bottle, and watch it well, you will in due sea
son seethe commotion quite plain. svmnathis