The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-09-08
THE MYSTERY OF FIRES.
Some Remarkable Cases of Spontaneous
Combustion.

A remarkable article from the pen of
Professor Weissman appears in the
latest issue of Siebold & Kolliker's
Zetschrift," published in Leipsic. The
savant deals with the interesting topic
of spontaneous combustion. and sug-
gests a theory to account for the de-
structive and extensive forest fires that
almost yearly work such havoc with
the sylvan forests of America. Professor
Weissman is of the opinion that some
dewdrops clinging to the leaf of tree
or plant, acts as double convex lens,
and brings the suns rays to a focus en-
some dry, inflammable substance, which
must be at the exact distance from the
dewdrop lens as TO correspond with its
sphere of curvature.
Many a hundred fires every year re-
mained unexplained, even after the most
painstaking and exhaustive investiga-
ton. Among all the wonderful phe-
nomena which chemistry presents to us"
writes Professor Weissman, there are
few more remarkable than those OF the
spontaneous combustion of bodies, ami
mate and inanimate, which emit flames,
and are sometimes entirely consumed by
internal fire." Among he-substances
subject to spontaneous combustion pull
verized charcoal is one of the most
remarkable. "A load of charcoal was
delivered in an outhouse of clergy
man in Leipsic, and showed no signs of
taking tire till the door by accident
was left open, when the wind blew
sprinklings of snow on the charcoal.
The rapid absorption of oxygen from
the melting snow caused the charcoal to
ignite, and as the day was windy the
whole range of buildings were burned
to ashes" In this connection, fruitful
and unsupported source of fire suggests
itself to those of our American house
keepers who burn wood as fuel and who
store the ashes in boxes or barrels. The
accidental disturbing OF such ashes,
even after years, will cause them to
ignite, provided the air is damp or foggy.
The phosphuret of potash from decayed
wood renders wood ashes highly inham-
mable, and mysterious cellar fires in the
rural districts are, no doubt, in some
cases caused by this extraordinary form
OF spontaneous combustion.
Professor Weissman himself had the
unfortunate experience of being burned
out of house and home on a wild winter
night some three years since, and he has
since diligently collected facts about
spontaneous combustion. 1t appears
that he hal been having his house
painted, and one night the painters, as
their manner is, left their working
pants, their pots and their brushes ON
the asphaltum floor of the cellar. They
had previously, with bunch of rags,
removed from their hands, with spirits
of turpentime, the paint with which
they were soiled. The ball of rags took
fire, the pants and paint pots followed
suit, and the house was burned to the
ground.
In the carriage factory OF Messrs.
Eaton & Gilbert, Troy, N. Y, a drop of
| linseed oil fell into an open paper OF
| lampblack, set it on fire and came with
in an ace of burning down the whole
great factory.
In several instances oilcloth in large
rolls has taken fire in damp, muggy
| weather. An instance of this also oc-
ours in American fire experience. A
planter in Virginia sent his servant to
| Fredericksburg for roll of oilcloth 1t
was q warm day and the wagon was
open. During the journey home it be-
| gan to rain, and the roll IF oilcloth took
| fire on the road. Another instance Of
the kind is supplied by Philadelphia
| during the war. An order from the
war department in Washington for
knapsacks for regiment was filled in
the city of brotherly love. The sacks
were all finished and collected, and
counted over and left in pile in the
paint shop, about ten o'clock on Satur'
day night, so as to be sent to Washing
| ton by cars early on Monday morning
On entering the paint shop before day
light on Monday morning no knapsackS
were to be found. In their place was
nothing but heap OF smolderina
ashesl
Newly pressed hay frequently ignites
as do also oatmeal and corn.neal ia
barrels. During the famine in ireland
in l947-46 q vessel was dispatched froul
New York with a cargo of cOrnmeal fol
the relief of the sufferers. In discharg
ing the bags from the vessel the last
three were found to be on fire.
The american Journal of Science gives
a remarkable instance of the spOntane
GUS combustion of wood. A Mr.. Adam
Reigart, two years previous to the oc-
curTence, received piece of wood, sup
posed to be cedar, detached from large
piece dug up thirty feet below the
surface, near Lancaster, Pa. The piece
weighed few ounces, and it was broker
in two and laid up on a white pine shel
in Mr.. Reigart's counting-room. About
four days before the discovery of the
nre ne laQ OCCASION 10 wipe Gue aus
from the shelf and from the piece o.
cedar with a wet cloth. Three days
aiterward it was discovered that the
piece of wood had ignited, and com
bustion was proceeding so rPpidly tha
in few minutes the shelf would have
been on fire.
Probably another prolific source o
our forest fires is to be sought in thu
liability of decayed wood, not only Il
spontaneous combustion, but from the
direct rays of the sun. At Winchester
Conn, some years since, some work
men, about 2 p. NJ, on August 5, dis
covered smoke arising from a barreI
upland. The sun was excessively no
at the time. When they went TO seel
the origin of the smoke, they found tina
the remains of an old decayed hemlocl
log had bun st into blaze and was burn
ing fiercely.
Professor Weissman relates severa
we'll authenticated cases in which bul
bous vessels, hyaeinth glasses, wine de
canters on shelves, by receiving tn