, 1865-06-23
FIRES IN
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.

ed. The exigencies ofthe present civil war
have led to the production Of shoddy in
quantities never before dreamed of, and
the quality of most of the rags worked
up in the mills is anything else bot
choice. Bags of them are not only filthy
and greasy, but reeFing with disease.
The weather, too, last summe and fall,
was peculiarly favourable to the singular
chemical action that causes natural igni-
ton. On the morning of the 27th of
June, a fire broke out in the warehouse
Of Mcssrs. Henry & Co., rag and waste
dealers, North Front Street. On the
morning of the 18th Of August, | was
called to investigate another fire in the
same store, which had started in the same
kind of material and ia The identical spot
rs did that in June. This time the ware
house came very near being destroyed.
Again, on the morning Of the 9th Of
September, there was fire in the same
premises. Strange as it may appear, all
three OF these fires developed themselves
about the same timr,-the first at 4 80,
the second at 4.23, and the third at 4 l6,
am. The atmosphere on all three occa-
sions was extremely SuItry. There had
UCtH OC'tCl uttS III (illS CStaDlIEilIlO~ht
which was once, with a heavy and valu-
able stock, totally demolished. The slor-
age of cotton and wooIIcu waste in ware
houses in the compactIy built parts Of
our main business ~thoroughfarcS, my eX-
pcrience as a fire detective satisfies me is
Il practice of very doubtful cXpediency.
1t would be much safer to deposit this
dangerous article in buildings occupying
isolated locations.
CAUSES OF FIRES
The number of fires from lucifers in the
hands Of children is still large, but it is
TO he hoped that the advanced rates for
these hazardous playthings may, hercaf-
ter, lead to greater care being taken of
them, and that the accidents that so fire.
~Qupntly occasion ydjminish accordingly.
Examinations into the facts and cir
cumStances attending the fires that are
continually breaking out in stables, and
now aud then roasting alive poor dumb
beasts, have claimed a good deal of my
time and attention, and, from the teSti-
monv obtained, the conclusion | have ar
rived at is, that in many cases of these
mishaps, the harm is not done by inccn-
diaries, as IS SehcIdiy suPPos0u' OuC "
careless men and reckless boys, with
matches, pipes, cigars, and open lights.
Instead of secure lanterns, which ought
always to be carried in stalls and lofts
where there is hay and straw, it is no I'M
common thing to use kerosene and fluid
lamps and talIow candles. A porter bot
tie. l find, is a convenient substitute for
a candlestick, and sometimes the candle
is stuck against the wall. A shield over
a lamp is deemed a useless %precautlon.
Nothing could be more trcachcrous than
a spark falling into the litter of a stable.
Numbers Of stablemen drink, and some OF
them are scarcely ever sober, and these
bad habits add to the chances of accident.
When closely questioned by the Fire
Marshal, it is amazing how they will lie
and deceive, and try TO keep back the
truth, in order to conceal their careless
ness. To check this growing mischief, L
would recommend the immediate passage
by Councils of an ordinance, making 1t a
penalty of five dollars to take an open
light Of any kind into a stable or barn