The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-21

compounds it is necessary that the splints
! should be separated from one another
for otherwise the igniting fixture would
fasten all the splints together, making one
large head with 1000 splints The matches
, are placed in frames between lathes which
are screwed together 50 as to hold the
] splints. The splints are first fed into
a machine which automatically arranges
them between the lathes leaving a small
space between each splnt. Each dipping
{ frame will hold from 900 to 5000 splints,
} and one man can dip about 1000, 600 match
es a day After the splints have Leen
fastened in the dipping frames they are
heated so that they win readily absorb
the parafiin, for the splints are first dipped
in the melted parafin before receiving
. the heads. After being coated in the
parat1n bath the matches are dipped in
the pan containing the igniting mixture
Sometimes this mixture is placed on the
splints by flexible belt which dips into
/ the mixture and then rubs up against
the matches.
The matches are dried until the igniting
composition hardens and are then packed
/ in boxes. The wooden boxes in which
/ some matches come are made of the same
wood of which the matches are made
veneer is shaved from a block Of wood.
/ and this veneer is bent by machinery into
I the boes.
-
/ ieniting compositton, and chlorate of pot
/ ash, red lead, nitrate OF lead, bichromate
/ OF potash and peroxide of Manganese are
other materials which enter into the
! making of matches. The safety matches
which will not light until rubbed upop
/ a surface covered with a special prepara-
/ ton are made by various secret processes.
! put bichromate OF potash, red lead. chic
/ rate OF potash and sulphide Of anthony
/ enter into the mixture of the tins and
amphorus or red phosphorus and sui
/ phide of anthony make up the rubbing
! surface
/ The big-headed. stumpy fusees or vesu-
/ Vians used by smokers and which VIII
sizzle and keep atire in the windiest wea-
! ther are simply common matches with a
/ composition of the slOw-fire kind The
mixture in the big oval head is porous and
IS made of charcoal, saltpeter, powdered
/ glass, gum and some sweet-scented banks
all OF 1t tipped with the ignitng compo-
+ siton. These matches are dipped repeat-
/ eddy until the proper amount of comDo-
sltlon is put ON the head of the short
splinC.
The wax matches, or vestas, are made
] by drawing cotton threads through melted
! stearline and parafin. The wax hardens
I rapidly on the threads, and is then round
. ed nicely by being drawn through holes i'm
4 steel plate. The wax threads are cut
10 the required length and are then dipped
H0 matches lhat are now used came
/ atter long series of experiments inveD-
| tiOns, improvements and failures I'm ~
| the beginning of the present century the
only match used was the sulphur natcht
This was Ions sylint of wood tipped with
| common everyday sulphur The wood
selected for the splnts was of a resinous
character, and the splints were cut off nv
I hand Time, patience and dry finder v-ers
required to light the old sulphur match
Inc sparks struck from the flint by the
steel fell into the finder, which was car
/ Donlzed lint of Gotten or linen the finder
! caught the spark if the match-liebter
was lucky, and presently the finder would
SLOW with enough heat to ignite the sui
phur, and the match was lighted. Some
times match-paper or touch-paper was
used instead Of finder. This was a thicL,
| blcttinS paper impregnated with saltpeter
An Improvement on the finder was the
| phosphorus bottle, little vial in which a
suck OF phosphorus had been stirred with
reuhot Wire, so that the inside of the
bottle was coated with oxide of nbos
phorus. The bottle was tightly corlxed
until 1t was desired to light a match. then
the cork was quickly removed the sui
phur match was plunged in, and when it
was withdrawn it was ablaae
The next Improvement was the oVv-
muriate match. This was a miniature
chemical laboratory, consisting of a little
! box with two compartments. In one was
bottle in which was some asbestos
soaked in oil Of vitroL In the other
| compartment were the matches. The
splints, after having been dipped in sui
I phur' were coated with a paste made of
chIorate of potash. gum and sugar, and
somtimes colored red, and the match
when plunged into the asbestos and oil
of Vitrol was ignited
Ihen came the lucifer matches or To-
sofocos, which led up to all the varieties
used to-day