The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-03-23
Spontaneous Combustion.


A contributor to the Boston Journal of
Chemistry says:
Any light that can be obtained on
spontaneous combustion adds not lit
tie to the value of real estate. We be-
lieve a large percentage of the fires
charged to incendiarism are really owing
to spontaneous combustion, so called.
We purpose giving three cases, two of
which have come under our own expert
ence.
l. Within a year, twenty-eight rolls
of cotton cloth in one of our large dye
ing establishments were dyed black, and
were delayed a few days before they
could be starched and finished. Two of
these rolls were discovered to be on fire
not in flames, but in smoldering
condition, or charred into tinder third
roll was so hot that hands could not
handle the cloth, and the wooden roller
upon which the cloth was wound was
heated almost to the point of ignition.
The rolls of cloth destroyed were the
first dyed, and consequently had been
longer exposed than the others, which
in measure explains why all the rolls
were not in the same condition.
In the dyeing, the first rolls were dyed
without washing, by an oversight of the
dyer. This is the point of importance,
as the chemical salts were left in the
cloth. Logwood, potash, sulphate of
copper, and sulphate of iron constituted
the dye, and we suggest this explana-
ton as the probable cause of the fire.
The potash and sulphate of iron change
to sulphate of potash aud hydrate of
iron, by the absorption of oxygen from
the atmosphere or from moisture in the
cloth, and the heat thus developed
reaches the point of ignition. Cloth in
drying is very liable to contain heated
moisture.
2. Within year fire was discovered
in silk-mercer's shop in London. The
fire originated in a lot of black-dyed
silk, and was discovered, as in the first
instance, before flame had burst out.
The conclusion reached was that it was
not safe to have black-dyed silk in large
masses, and that each piece ought to be
so placed as to allow free circulation
of air. We think it quite probable that
the explanation Of the combustion is the
same as in the preceding case.
3. In trying to get rid of rats in a
dwelling-house, the floors were taken
up, in order to cut off their ingress, if
possible. The box that held the hot
water pipes was found to be favorite
resort for the vermin, and had actually
been on fire. The sides were charred,
but there had not been sufficient air to
sustain combustion. Upon investiga-
ton as to the cause of the incipient fire,
we are not left long in doubt, for a store
of remnants of greasy cloths used in
washing dishes was found, which had
been brought by the rats from the
kitchen. Some of these were charred,
and the others were we'll saturated with
grease and oils. This fire was quite a
distance from the kitchen range, forty
feet at the least.
1t would be very natural in all these
cases, if the real causes had not been so
apparent, to attribute the origin of the
fire to incendiarism.
We have a very firm impression that
the introduction of coal oils for lubrica-
ton of machinery has very materially
reduced the number of fires from spon-
taneous combustion, owing to the fact
that the coal oils do not absorb oxygen
and that for this reason, if for no other,
insurance companies can afford to insure
mill property for less rates than they
charge at present.