The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-25
STRANGE FIRES.
PECULIAR CASES OF SPOETA-
NEOUS COMBUSTION.
Remarka able Instances of How This
Mysterious Agency Brings
Fire and Ruin When E
Least Expected. ~

The Scientific american says: The fre-
quent occurrence of fires from spontane-
Gus combustion has led US to more
frequently refer to the sub; ;ect in these
columns than we should, were it not I'M
poItant to everybody to be constantly on
the watch to see that the causes for these
more or less disastrous fires do not exist
on their premises. A late number OF
Stoce and HardUare gives list of fires
which have recently occurred from this
cause. ..I.
In a mandatory of plane bits Ia
Chicago sponge had been used to trans
fer the water by capillary attraction
from a water box to an emery wheel, on
which the bits were ground. The
sponge wiped off the fine steel particles
from the wheel, and they were collected
IN the cells of the sponge and kept COM
stantly wet. The sponge was finally
laid aside, and after a week or ten days
it was discovered that the mass was
spontaneously ignited. and if if had not
been for. its timely discovery another.
mysterious fire might have resulted. -
In factory in New Jersey where oiled
stock for planes was operated on by bor-
ing, planning and mortising machines,
causing shavings and fine particles Of
wood, which were saturated with linseed
oil, to collect on the floors, itwas noticed
that great increase in The temperature
took place when the sweepings which
had been moistened by sprinkling-were
collected in pile. On subsequent
occasion it was found that barrel of
shavings and chips from the boring and
mortising machines were so hot as to be
almost ready to ignite. Another barrel
contained shavings madei in planning oiled
stocks. On these being moistened with
water they soon began to heat, and the
temperature continued to rise until the !
next day, when it was found that the
shagings began to char. The barrel was
covered with metal plate until the next
day, when, on being disturbed, the mass
burst into flames. E.
A number of bales of Sea Island cot.
ton stored in o warehouse in New Jersey
were found to be on fire. When the fire
was extinguished at one spot it would
start at another. The cotton had been
ginned on rolling gin, which, in crack
ing a portion of the seed, had caused
the oil in the seed to become mixed with
the cotton, and the result was spontane-
Gus ignition.
In the manufacture of a cement or
putty composed of whiting and boiled
Iinsead oil, which. after being ground in
mill, was put in barrels, a fire was dis
covered under one OF the barrels standing
on end. The floor was partially burned
through when the discovery was made.
In grinding the oil the mas; became
warm from the friction, and small
part Of the oil had leaked through the
common barrels while in this warm state.
It was discovered in time to prevent
much damage.
An engineer placed bunch of waste.
which had collected in cleaning up
mill-in front of boiler, in order that
the fireman could use it the next morn
ing in starting up fire. During the
night it spontaneously igni:e1, set fire
to the kindlings which had been made
ready for the morning, raised sufficient
steam to blow off and alarm the watch
man.
Some years since a gentleman was ex-
perimenting in coloring Southern moss
for decorative purposes. In one of hrs
experiments he used very thin paint or
varnish, but slightly colored with
pigment. He dipped the moss in the
mixture and then squeezed out as much
as possible by the hand. The result not
proving satisfactory, he threw the moss
In box and placed it in the closet. A
few days after, the odor of something
burning led to the discovery that the
moss was charred, and almost ready to
ignite.