New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-23
COAL FIRES on WARSHIPS.
CAUSES OF sPoNT ANEOUs CoMBusTIoN-LAXlTY
OF BUNKER INSPECTION

CAUSES OF SPONT ANECUS COMBusIloN-
OF BUNKER INSPECTION.
Tho use of petroleum for fuel on board OF sea-
going vessels has been objected to because of the
dangers apprehended from its handling and use;
but the reports published on Thursday Of the mar
row escapes OF the United States cruiser Cincinnati
and the coast defence vessel Olympia from fre In
their coal cargocs suggest that even coal Tue. ~
n very dangerous cargo and that the only safe
guard Is to go back first principes-sall- power
In the case of the Cincinnati fire was discovered
in the coal-bunkers at on December 10. and II
had made such Roadway to cause the walls be-
tween the bunkers and the magazine, where the
powder and other explosives are Kept. 20 become
red-hot Even the wooden castings In which the
fixed ammunition nclosed had been burned
away, and had not the magazine been promptly
flooded it would have exploded and killed every
man on board and wrecked the ship. Great credit
is given to the GOODNESS of the commander and his
officers and the discipline of the crew IN avert
ing what threatened to be one OF the most
serious calamlties that ever occurred on board
of an American warship. With the chemical
changes always looked for in coal cargoes es-
pecally If it should be damp when put into
the bunkers spontaneous combustion may be ex-
pected unless there is the proper ventilation OF the
compartments whore 1t is stored Oifcers at the
Navy Yard aver that the Navy regulations require
that the coal-bunkers must be oficillly inspected
at 10 o'clock every morning. and that the officers
are required to have the temperature of the coal
bunkers taken by every watch and recorded in the
steam-log and should there be any indication OF
spontaneous combustion II must be at once reported
10 the commanding officer.
on the same day that the report of the fire on
the Cincinnati was published there given the
substance of the official report of the fires on the
OLYMPIA soon after leaving Honolulu for Yoko-
hama a few weeks ago. In this case the fires
were caused by spontaneous combustion, indeed
by the quality Of the coal with which the Olympia
was stored The fires occurred at four different
times. but were fortunately extingulshed before
much damage was done.
There have been several such fires on the war
vessels II was In July 1892. that the cruiser
Charleston fire from spontaneous combus
ton in her coal cargo In Puget Sound. 1t was for
tunate in this that the fire was discovered
before IT got much Roadway, and yet before It
could be extingushed many OF the officers stale
rooms and their fittings were destroyed. the BERTH
deck and steerage quarters were badly damaged
and other losses resulted. Only few weeks before
that fire started in great pile OF coal at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard from spontaneous oombis-
ton. and IT took two three days to extnguish it.
Spontaneous combustion IN coal is due. it Is adj
! mitted. the absorption OF the oxygen OF the
air. In fact. all kinds of coal. after being cut or
ing IN volume according TO the quality OF the coal
The absorption Of the oxygen raises the tempera-
proportion the rate At which the oxygen Is taken
in Ahoush the absorpSn OF oX SS does nSe
I
combustion. the oxygen itself becomes chemically
active; and when such action is going on In the
centre of pile Of coal a sufficient quantity of air
may be supplied which. combining with the hy-
drogen and carbon Of the fuel, will cause spon-
taneous combustion. The pyriies in the coal also
plays an important part in promoting combustion,
especially If there is large percentage OF that sub
/ stance present, in some Instances liberate sui
phur and the temperature necessary to ignite
sulphur is only iS2 degrees Fahrenheit. while in
the case OF camel (btuminousp coal which ignites
at the lowest temperature among the several kinds
Cos degrees Fahrenheit required IL will be seen
I that with the chemical changes referred 10, the
actual temperature of ignition is lowered 200 de-
grees in the soft coal Pyrites also promote spon-
taneous combustion through the tendency of the
from oxidation thus exposing fresh surfaces with
a consequent increased absorption of oxygen Ven
tilation Of coal bunkers has been suggested as a
remedy against spontaneous combustion but It
would seem reasonable 10 suppose that II would
be a prolific cause Of such fires II will be pal
pabe TO any who has had experience with
| fires in the cargoes of ships why much care Is
always taken not 10 make any openings 10 let the
| air In.