New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-28
know what is due them and can easily make
an example of whoever denies H. sro "'Ho "
sustain the society in its work OF re1orm'
THE FIRE ON THE CRUISER CHARLESTON

THE FIRE ON THE CRUISER ChAhIH" Wv
Fires in cotton cargoes from spontaneous co"'
bustion have become too common pu' IL 10 ~"
often that fire starts in coal Cargo an" WIN"
does. as in the case OF the United states o'",e.'
Charleston in Puget Sound. few DAYS ago. Wv
situation is most difficult TO controi. ror'o""''' w
fire in the coal bunkers OF the Nh'i''o" ~
promptly discovered. and Yet before IL 'o"'"
eXtinguished many of the officers s'a'eiooi
their fittings wore DESTROYED, the berth-deck ana
stccragc quarters were badly damaged. ana o'heI
losses were inflicted. Ii was only few weeks
ago that fire started in a great Pile oil 'oa u. Wv
Brooklyn Navy Yard from spontaneous co'hous'''''
and IT took two or three days 10 eA'hs"'' "
Other fires in coal heaps and coal Dnhkers nav
been caused By spontaneous comDus'loh' "u' WV
most threatening that on the INmciio'
steamship Washington. when. on mr. way HUH
Liverpool TO New-YorlS. in 1854. her coal ca"si'
fire in midoccan and the engineers force Kep' '"o
fire subdued that the several hundred pas 'enariS
knew nothing Of it until the vessel reached Hail.
fax. when her bnnkers were Hooded WIN wafer
and the fire was eXtingnshed.
Spontaneous combustion is no douDt d"e' Pri-
marily. to the absorption by coal Of the oxygen
Of the air All kinds OF coal. after being cut OF
broken. begin to absorb Oxygen, the amount vary
ing in volume according 10 the quality Of the coal
The absorption OF the oxygen raises the tempera-
turp Of the coal and this augments the rate nj
which the oxygen is taken in. Although the ab-
sorption of oxygen does not raise the temperature
Of the coal sufficiently high 10 cause combuStloh
the oxygen itself becomes chemically active, ana
in bituminous coal which was probably the klnd
on the Charleston. il combines with the contained
hydrogen and carbon, thus further increasing the
temperature When such action takes place In
the centre Of heap Of coal, sufficient quantity
of air may he supplied to cause spontaneous COM
bustion It. is also claimed that pyrites In the
coal play an important part in promoting com
bustion The chemical change which the pyrites
undergo especially if there is large percentage
Of that substance present in some instances llDer
atcs sulphur; and az the temperature necessary 10
ignitc sulphur IL only ASP degrees Fahrenhelt,
while in the case Of camel coal, which ignites at
the lowest temperature among the several xmas.
Cos degrees Fahrenheit are required. it will Ike seen
that in conseq the chemical change IN
Dictated. the actual temperature OF ignition Is
really lowered 200 degrees in camel coal. ~
rites also promote spontaneous combustion through
the tendency of the coal to split up in small pieces.
caused by expansion from oxidation, thus exposing
fresh surfaces with consequent increased absorb
ton of Oxygen Coal cargo fires are more frequent
in the tropics than in the higher ATTITUDES. but the
Introduction of high steam pressures. with the
CONSEQUENT increase of bunker temperature, III
connection with triple expansion engines, has hau
the same effect upon the bunker Goals OF steam
ships that the natural heat of the tropics has had
npon Goa, cargocs. II has been said that the so
called ventilation which has from time to time
been introduced in ships is one of The most prohc
causes of spontaneous combustion. II thorough
Investigation Is made. there probably Will DE
in the case Of the Charleston. the cause OF the IRE
in her bunkcrs will no doubt be demonstrated, anu
n remedy may be found 10 lessen such dangers IN
the future.