, 1865-01-06
LONDON FIRES.

the probable cause ofSuch disastrous con
hagrationS. II is notorious that many Of
these calamItieS have their origin in ware
houses containing stores OF lutte and The
question arises whether such disasters are
occaSloned Ivy the SpOntaneousco combustion
Of this material. We understand that the
fire-otfices generally incline 10 the tn cory
that Jute really possesses the dangerous
property of spontaneous ignition. 1t
cannot be supposed that merchants and
whatfi"gers entertain this idea, otherwise
they would never be so imprudcnt as to
pack away large quantities of so danger
Gus a material among their other goods
When the whartingerS are told hat he
cute fires' are occa>ioued 10y the heat
ing of the jute Itself, they reply that there
is no proof to that effect. They admit that
fires occur where jute is slowed; but they
object, that although iute Has been seen
on fire no one has yet seen it actual
ignite per Sc. If this particular article
really possesses the power Of ki0dIing lis
own t~unereal pile, il is much to be de>ir-
Ell that some experimental chemist would
demonstrate the fact 10 the parties CON
cerned. All we know at present is this,
that when some terrible fire has swept
away a mass of warehouses on a Thames
wharf, inquiry often shows that the flames
were first observed either bursting from
a bale OF jute, or fro a a part Of the build
ing where lutte was known to be stored.
Such is not the case, in an equal degree,
with any other article, not even with cot
ton. Cottou-Waste Is known to originate
fires; and 50 is slWdust; when saturated
with oil and nvnDSI1 In five 90 ion Df hn
air. The material of a tent, soaked with
oil and laid out on the grass to dry in The
sunshine, has been known 10 burst INTO
flames and burn i'stIt to finder. But
danger from this source being pretty
generally apprehended is obylated by pro-
per prec buttons, and no Whariogrr or
merchant will tolerate q heap Of oily rags
or greasy saWduSt in tha heart of his pre-
misses. Could 1t be proved that iute was
of this nature, it would either be doomed
to exclusion from our great Water-Side
warehouses, or would be received under
very special regulations. Possibly il is
only dangerous whenit has been acciden-
tally damprd or creased in some way.
But whatever obscurity may attach to The
chemicl part OF the question there can
be no doubt of this fact, that where there
have been premises crammed from the
vanIts beneath to the topmast floor with
miscellaneous collection OF merchandise,
If there be any jute among the goods ii Is
generally there that the fire is found to
We are, therefore, justified
in saying that a very strong suspicion at
taches to this particular commodity and
it appears 10 need "A special surveillance
like some convict at large with his tick
ct of leave.
If jute does not ignite spontaneously
the question which comes next in view is
almost as ominous as the one we lave
just entertained. Thus, if jute nerds to
be set ailght before it burns, whence
comes the light which sets the jute on
fre9 There is no questioning the fact
that a sort of fatality seems 10 attend the
presence of this modern substitute for
hemp. The great fire of June %, 1861,
TO which London owes the death of Braid
wood, was of this character. According
to the evidence given at the inquest the
first person who saw this fire was a de-
livery foreman named England, who, be-