New-York tribune., 1885-01-25
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION OF SILK

DISASTROUS RESULTS OF USING IMPURE DYE.
'sTUFFs-wHAT CAUSES IGNITION.
Not long ago there appeared in THE TRIDCNE an
account of a fire in which it stated that the prob
able cause of ignition the spontaneous combustion
of silk goods. 1t Is several years since many
serious and welauthentcated instances OF this kind
have been brought to the notice of the public.
Spontaneous combustion, meanwhile, has in many
quarters become byword for scientific monomania as
perpetual motion the navigation of the air has long
been But while few deny the fact of spontaneous
combustion in such articles rags, damp hay, saw
dust and charcoal, not in ten, even among
those who handle the fabric believe that it is
or possible in silk goods. Yet. considering that fully
two-hrds of the silk sold in this country Is imported
and that the goods have therefore to be slowed IN
large masses the holds of vessels where fire
would be especially destructive. and taking into ac
count, also. the immense intrinsic value OF the fabric
itself IL important to know that in certain qualities
of foreign silks spontaneous combustion not only has
frequently taken place but H. under favorable crcun
stances the most natural thing IN the world.
Five years ago this subject the pivot Of great
deal of interest And well 1t might be. The myster-
ous fire the steamship Mosel made considerable i'm
prc sson on the minds OF travellers aud may still be re-
membered The action of shp-Owncrs in laying an en-
barge upon certain class Of French goods and the
movement of the French Government to establish an
agency tor the detection of dangerous manufactures
must be well known to importers On November 10
1870 the following dispatch from Bremen was printed
in an American trade journal: In consequence OF
man Lloyds Steamship Company have decided to re-
fuse transportation in their vessels 10 the class OF
heavy French silks which are so heavily weighted
with chemicals and oils to cause danger OF spon'
taneOus combustion" Several months previous 1t was
announced from Lyons that the French authorities
were about creating conditioning house Tor manu-
facdrcd goods with view 10 repress the practce OF
How s silk loaded and what relation has loading
TO spont ancous combustion ! AS is commonly known
one of the desirable quae, in sllk weight 10 the
inexperienced buyer this il, indeed, the final test
especially black silk. Another requisite is certain
degree of stiffness, both these qualities being under
natural conditions token that the thread is thick and
strong The great temptation to IA ishonest manu-
facurer would he to produce weight and stiffness ny
cheap process, analogous to the process OF tanning
leather in which the original fibre of the hide is used
as a frame netting upon which the tanning liquors
may fastcn and haT'icn.
prominent silk expert when asked the other to
desert the process said In France they load silks
heavily with dye-stuits to such an extent that
pound of silk sent To The dyers VIII come BACK a.
four pounds Often aud amount of dyelng which
doubles the weight is not at all uncohmon. lhe OBJECT
il 10 give q body Ia the SILK
~ hen once the peculiar nature of the dyestui IA
known the whole secret of the comb. ton /, instantly
revealed. Mix charcoal with saltpetre and what Is
the result under the slightest varanc OF temperature
An explosion. Raw silk might just "a well a. not be
called charcoal and the dyc-stuh saltpcrc. for the
latter nitrate OF iron and the former almost pure
carbon tyro IN chemistry Knows that nitrate OF
iron gives oxygen with the utmost readiness and
that when oxygen get- close quarters with carbon
there IL mchng to pay in less Than no time. In the
case OF adultcraed silk carbon and oxygen are fairly
forced into each Others company; theS are aHOMcu
aud even encouraged to embrace each other. The
loves of the Itans terrific as their wars.
The expert gave amusing illustration of the theory
Of si,ontanco. combustion. His umbrella disappeared
one day after the manner IN which most umbrellas
take themselves wings and iy away but ia quite
another fashion. IL wss standing about a yard Som
rho stove and was unduly heated. when suddenly
II burst flames through almost s "ntre length ana
was III few seconds, merely sheietoh vi "'ic an"
handful Of gray ashes. -,
In silk whose distinguishing quality. that which
makes II the queen of fabrics IL the excessive tennity
of it, hbres there l. carbon IN abundance and IN
state of minute subdivision. The force Of an tx
p.o,ion depends On its suddcnneSs For an explosion
70 b. sudden the combination which produces it
take place nearly simultaneously as possible
throughout the combining bodic.. II therefore the
carbon il INFINITELY -ubdivided. ~ that a large pro
portion of it, particles are exposed. there Is quick
path tor the oxygen attack every particle at
This Is precisely the case with silk, and when the
French manufacturers soak silk in nitrate of iron
they deliberately establish powder magazine which
needs only slight jar or spark to go OF IN an eN-
plosion.
of America" SAYS: The adutcrntinn lis usually
performed in dyeing the yarns before they are woven
and i, is fully within hounds to state that all European
broad black k- with the exception OF perhaps
very ew of the highest priced, are thus doubled or
trcblcd in weight. When heavily loaded. the fabric
gives little satisfaction In the consumer. Sometimes
the superhuous dye-stuh shows itself after few days
wear in spots and blotchcs sometimes the dress be-
gin, to look greasy rusty before long trays and
breaks in the folds and then the ruin is complete"
Iht bue t'ht Is H"t'eh iIo" Prus7Ia'c VI Po.t' no
elk il also baihcd III gambler and treated With acetate
ofaron Logvood and soap add lustro to the otherwise
dead and uuhcsutiful material II satin finish ia de
sired oil and soda used if hard. rusng silk is to
be produced, the wOrkmen employ acd.
There is in this subject strong argument for
American silks " said the expert " The imported
roo,s are often adulterated and the dishonesty is
doubly criminal. because IL creates public danger.
" in all this dishonesty to contend against ~ well rs
the natural facilities which France possesses for max
ing ,k is great pity that the American industry
cannot he better protected There j. an al valoiem
duty of fifty per cent but what does that amount to
he practice of naturalization nuies the duty. We
are building up an industry, but II Is slow work
ayes. this question of spontaneous combustion IA a
curious one ahd far important than people think.
At any rate ii the practice Of loading has not resulted
in great fire, lately IL has ruined many piece of silk
lessons the elasticity and strength of the fibre, ann
if pcople could only understand this subject. the
market Tor home made silk would be much better
TIE UORR OF THE STORM