The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-05
Spontaneous Combustion of Coal Car


The roynl commission appointed In Eng
land In 1876 TO inquire into the sponta-
neous combustion OF coal in ships has re-
Gently submitted its report to the House
of Commons. There are, II would appear,
two causes Of ignition In GOAL cargoes; the
oxidation of iron pyrites Ia substance
found largely in some kinds OF coal caused
by moisture IN the air, and the absorption
and condensation OF oxygen by coal when
in a finely divided or porous condition, as
the condensation of a gas bya porous body
causes great development OF heat The
danger OF ignition from this second cause
is not, like the first, facilitated by moist
ure on the contrary, the wet fills up the
pores and diiniuishes the absorptive power
of the coal.
Ii has for many years been thought by
Boards of Trade and by underwriters that
better ventilation was the remedy Tor the
danger from spontaneous combustion, aud
so ventilation would be stipulated for in
charter parties. Sea captains took an
other view, maintaining thlt ventilation,
instead Of lessenng the risk, was almost
certain TO result in the destruction OF the
vessel. one captain told the commission
that lac was Obliged 10 ventilatc hls vessel
with shafts up and down each hatchway,
conne cted with the fore and aft shafts, and
on the voyage the coal took fire and the ship
was burned. She was one of four loaded ut
Newcastle AT the same time with coal from
the same seam, each vessel carrying from
| LOO to 1000 tons. Three OF them, the Eux-
inc, Oliver Cromwell, and Calcutta which
were thoroughly ventilated, were totally
lost from spontaneous combustion, while
the other. the Corale, which was not ven
tilated at all. arrived safely in Bombay.
| The commission reports against ventlla-
ton. In "A tropical voyage such an amount
g. hha2,, Y llIulatcd by the coal that No
circulation OF the air only tending to de-
velop the heat. The statistics show that
spontaneous combustion occurs prin opal
| ly In vessels carrying over 500 tons and
| bound TO the west coast Of South Am erica
san Francisco, or Asiatlc ports beyond the
Mediterranean and Black Seas Tho in
crease in the number OF casualties IN lS7s
and 1874 is attributed to want of care ia
the selection Of coal.
As the breaking up OF coal, during ship.
|
the dangerous absorption OF oxygen, the
commission devotes some space to q
cons d ration Of methods Of loading 10y
which IL is sought to avoid such breakage
| The machines known rs "tips' aud
"spouts" cause the most brcakage; load
| ing by hoist or by crane is much safer
while the box or barrow system of load
| ing, although expensive, Is the safest.
Attention is called to the common con-
fusion between explosions aud sponta
neous igni ions. Explosions are never
spontaneous, but are caused by marsh gas
when mixed with volume OF air comins
in contact with flame Coal from seam
charged with marsh gas should therefore b.,
avoided. Every means should be taken [,
let the coal gas escape into the open air
but rs drawing air into he body Of tho
freight would produce Il highly explosive
mixture OF gas and arr the current Of All
should pass over the coal and immediately
into the open air. The commission recon
mend the avoidance OF certain kinds o
coal int inslcally dangerous for shipment
and caution against the breakage OF coal
the shipment OF pyrtic coal la "A wet con
diIion, aud ventilation through the Goa
cargoes.