The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-03-06
AS TO SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.
Substances That Are Liable to Cause Fire
in Buildings.

| All substances that are liable to take
flre spontaneously do SO more readil,
when covered up so rs To confine the
heat generated or when subjected te
| artificial heat. either from steam ol
| hot-air fiues or that of the sun. Oil,
| rags are liable to burn spontaneously
anu are doubtless ften the cause oil
fires in factories, nix shops. or paper
mills, which are pposed to be of in
cendlary origin. Canvas when painted
with oil paint and rolled up or packed
closely in confined place is pretty
sure to burn. Ordinary oiled clothing
such as is worn by sailors. when piled
in heaps on shelves or elsewhere, i.
very subject TO spontaneous ignition.
such goods should always be hung up,
| SO as to admit of free circulation ol
air around them. Spent tan-bark will
ignite spontaneously when stacked up
"A heaps. Ii is for this reason often
used in white lead works to generate
carbon dioxide by its fermenting in the
corroding bed
The moistening of such fibrous sub
ways attended with slight heat. Wet
iron filings generate heat rapidly. as
does also rusting iron. Very fine frag.
ments of iron and steel, by their rapid
oxidation, will become red-hot, and
some English scientists declare that the
| fires known to be caused by steam pipes
constantly in contact with wood orig
mate from the rust of the iron An En-
glish authority saws:
'When oxide OF iron is placed in
contact with wood excluded from the
atmosphere. and aided by a slightly i'll
creased temperature. the oxide parts
with its oxygen, and is converted into
finely divided particles of metallic iron
having such an affinity for oxygen that,
When afterwards exposed to the action
Of the atmosphere from any cause, oxy-
gen is absorbed so rapidly that these
particles become red-hot, and if in suf-
ifcient quantity will produce temper
Sture far beyond the ignitable point of
dry timber. Whenever iron pipes are
employed for the circulation of any
heated medium (whether hot water,
bot air, or steam), and wherever the
pipes are allowed to become rusty and
are also in close contact with wood. il
IS only necessary to suppose that under
these circumstances the finely divided
particles of metallic iron become ex-
posed to the action of the atmosphere
(and this may occur from the mere ex-
panslon or contraction of the pipes) in
order to account for many of the
fires which periodically take place at
the commencement of the winter sea.
son.
1t is difficult to get persons to believe
that there is any danger from fire alis-
ing from the contact of steam pipes with
wood, Notwithstanding that there have
heen well-attested cases of fires origin
ating from this cause
Iron scraps or filings, or little chips,
always found on the floors of machine
saops, and usually mere or less oily.
are liable to heat if they become rusty,
and particularly SO when saw-dust is
used, as is often the case in bolt works.
There Is an instance on record where
large machine shop was flooded by a
sudden freshet, wetting the heaps OF
iron filings on the floor. which became
heated Immediately after the water
had subsidized. Toronto Monetary Times