The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-26
ODD ORIGIN or CITY FIRES.

In the last report of the ex-fire marshal it was
remarked that many fires in these modern days
are clearly traceable to the agency of rats and
and mice. The assertion seemed strange
one but the fire marshal went on to explain
that since parlor matches have come into gen
( erai use both at home and in the work shop,
they are dropped on floors or left lying about,
while many men carry them loosely in their
pockets and drop them here and there. Rats
and mice are both fond of parlor matches, and
are not long III removing all found outside OF a
safe into their retreats. 4 fire occurs and tie
blame or cause cannot be traced, and it IS
finally charged to incendiarism, and the fire
marshal is at taken to task if he does not
arrest some one on Il charge Of arson.
A very interesting confirmation of this SIN
gular theory has lately been furnished by an
| English writer. Mr. Tozer IN an elaborate
sketch Of the fires caused by rats and mice.
He first cites number Of instances i'll which
rats have bitten through water pipes, and have
thus actually Hooded buildings, while only
designing to aay their thirst: and then he
adduceS several cases OF rats SnawlnS gas
pipe, presumably in mistake for a water pipe.
1t has been thought tat they heard the water
bubbling IN the gas pipe. and did not find
their mista until they penetrated the pipe.
At any rate, a London warehouse was on two
| such occasions damaged by fire through some
Of the employees seeking for the escaping gas
with a light. But the same writer has traced
out other cases of fires occurring throu h
rats and mice gnawing lucifer matches. Many
matches, he says, are now dipped in paratfn
wax instead Of sulphur, and the rats or mice
carry them under the floor for the pur-
pose of gnawing of the wax: in doing so
their teeth come III contact with the phos-
pborus at the ends, and fire them. In 1856
| this writer attended fire at the Sultan's pal
ace in Scutari, Asia Minor, and gathered from
under the flooring quantity OF matches
which nice had been gnawing Some years
ago u fire occurred in London, caused through
a jackdaw getting at box of lucifers, and
pecEing them until it set them on fire. Fires
have also occurred through rats and mice
conveying under the flooring boards, oily and
fatty rags which have afterward spontaneous
~ ignted This is rather common cause Of
fires in cotton mills Finally, the Journal of
the London United Service Institution says
that one of the presents sent to the museum
Of this institution few years since, was a
rats nest which was set on fire by lucifer
match gnitel by the old rat as she worked
into her nest. A fire occurred on board the
British ship Revenge from similar cause
II will be seen, therefore that ex-Fire Mar
shall Clark had good reason tor attrbuting
many fires to rats and mice. But We are not
80 sure that the remedy he advises will be Of
universal application. He says: 1.-The pas
sage Of a law prohibiting the manufacture Of
matches other than those which ignite when
struck on specially prepared surfaces would, I
believe, save many thousands of dollars worth
of property yearly" When We consider not
only the enormous vested interests in match
manufactures, but also the excessive incOnve-
nience Of providing and having always at hand
the specially prepared surfaces, we shall be
inclined to pause before resorting to 50 extra
ordinary a change.
While We are on the subject, We shall refer
TO one or two other curious things in the same
interesting report. Mr.. Clark took courage
to attribute no less than forty of last years
fires to Spontaneous combustion. He frankly
confessed that many persons, including some
very intelligent underwriters. laugh at the
theory of spontaneous combustion. Never
theIess, he declared that he was fully satisfied
from his Investigations, that many fires, really
owing their origin to spontaneous combus- |
ton, ar set down to other causes bv those |
who do not comprehend the subject and look
upon it with ridicue. He argues that hay, |
packed IN masses, goods stored in warehouses;, |
such as cotton. wax, hemp, rags. and even |
silk twist. when affected by dampness will |
originate fire and dwellings have one or two
stowholes sometimes in the cocklott, in a |
closet. or under the stairs, that contain all the
refuse Of the family wearing apparel, bed |
clothing, old boots. etc, where they remain |
subject to dampness and heat alternately, |
ready to break into flame at any moment. |
Now. referring to Mr.. Tozer's essay again, |
We find several fires distinctly traced to spon-
taneous ignition. We hardly need to quote
these: but it may tie added that sometimes |
fires attributed to spontaneous combustion
really owe their origin to other unsupported |
EA,. h,..h 1a %l.,4
birds nests under the caves and wooden crew
ices OF honses have been frequently set on
fire through sparks from chimney, md have
contained sufficient inhammable matter to
communicate flames to the buildings. Fires
nave even occurred from the concentration of
the suns rays upon glass fish globes A house
in England was set on fire through the con-
centrltion OF the suns rays upon a water
carate standing upon a table. Colored bot
ties in chemists shops and bulls eyes in
glass have been known to focus sufficient
heat from the sun to set buildings on fire.
As tor cats. dogs and monkeys, they rival
rat and mice III their incendiary capabilities |
Lying inside tenders, they have frequently re-
ceived hot Goals and burning chips falling
from the lire upon their fur, and have rushed |
OF with them to carpets, curtains. beds and
other intlammable things. Mr.. Tozer cites
one case in which three distinct fires were
caused in one room Of gentlemans house
through a cat lying inside the fender when
some hot ashes fell out Of the fire on its back,
which caused it to dart about the ROOM when
the cinders were deposited in different places
and set fire to the carpet. But must not
refer further to the details of these investiga-
tons, whose moral is precisely the same with
that Of Marshal Clark, namely. the importance
Of vigilance against the unusual and extraor-
binary as well as the more common origin Of
fires. - Philadelphia Ledyer.
ADuLTrRATIoS.- Apropos of the new inter
est IN the question of the extent and proven
,lnn n aLlul tAI.l ton Ghic41ra iolarn. IL. |