The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-05

D.
der the direction of Robert Boyle, pre-
pared and sold considerable quantities.
Small particles were rubbed between
folds of brown paper, and sulphur
matches were ignited from the result
ing flame Hut as phosphorus as then
prepared was both costly and danger
Gus the invention was not long employ
ed.
IT was not until 1906 that attempts
were made tn use chemical agency for
the production of fire. In that year Nj.
Chanue, assistant to Professor Then
ard. of Paris. discovered that mix
ture of chlorate of potash and sugar
would ignite If dipped into sulphuric
acid.
In 1929 phosphorus match was pro
posed. In this ease equal parts of
phosphorus and sulphur were cautious
ly mingled in a glass tube or vial,
which was kept securely Curked. When
q light was wanted, a small pellet of
the mixture was taken out ON a sui
phur-tippcd splint, and, being rubbed
quickly against q piece Cf cork, ignited
almost spontaneously. The vial, cork
and matches were kept together in
small receptacle called a phosphorus
box"
Another somewhat similar apparat-
us was prepared by putting piece ot
phosphorus in small |ial and stirring
il about with not wire PASSED through
the cork. Ry this process the phos-
phorus was partially burned in con-
fined portion of air and converted into
oxide of phosphorus. TO procure
light a common birthstone match was
inserted and small portion of the
substance withdrawn on its tip by
which flame was instantly produced.
ACID UTILIZED.
NJ. Chanuls discovery, mentioned
above. was utilized in England some
twenty years after it was made, in
what was called an instantaneous
light box" The box was made of tin,
and in ii were placed a small glass
stoppered bottle containing Sulphuric
acid. with enough asbestos Ga fbrous
mineral unaffected by fire or acids) to
soak il up and prevent it from spilling.
and a supply of small splints of wood
that had been dipped in melted sulphur
and tipped with a compound of six
parts of chlorate of potash two of
powdered loaf sugar and one of pow
dered gum, mixed together in a paste
with water. On touching the prepared
ends to the acid they burst into flame.
But there were several disadvantages
to this device, especially those arising
from the use of the acid, which, aside
from its destructive properties, pos
sesses great power of absorbing moist
ure from the atmosphere, and, conse-
quently, soon became inert from dilu-
ton.
To do away with the acid bottle
match called the 'promethean" was
patented by S. Jones, of London, in
1880. This consisted of a short roll of
paper, with a small quantity of chlor-
ate of potash and sugar at one end, to
which was attached a tiny glass glob-
ule containing sulphuric acid. A slight
blow broke the glass, the released acid
mixed with the paste, and the match
was lighted. The invention was dan
gerous as well as costly, for an acct
dental fall or blow would ignite box
of these matches in a room or even in
a pocket with disastrous consequences.
In the meantime the 'lucfer match"
SO named, probably, from ."Lucifer,
son of the morning" Usaiah. xiv. 12)
gained a footing. 1t was a strip Of
either pastebOard or wood, tipped with
| an inflammahle mixture composed of
| chlorate of potash and sulDhuret of
antimony, with enough of powdered
gum to render it adhesive when mixed
with water. These matches were ig-
nitcd by drawing them through fold
ed piece of sandpaper. So popular did
they become that, although they were
long ago disused, they have left their
| name behind to be popularity applied TO
other kinds since invented.
PHOSPORUS TO THE FORE.
a friction match with phosphorus
| tip was experimental with by Mr. Der
| osne in Paris as early as 1916, but the
| first really practical phosphorus fric-
| tion matches We're made in England
| in 1927 by John Walker, druggist
| Of Stockton on Tees, who called his
| productions "congreves," in honor of
| Sir William Congreve, the inventor of
| the war rocket known by his name
| They We're not widely used for num-
| Der of years afterWard; but they
| sprang into favor as soon as their
| good qualities became known. and were
| the direct ancestors of the matches
| used at the present day. The body of
| the "congreve" was originally of wood,
l
| quently came into limited use. The
! igniting composition. which required
| very little friction to infame it. con-
| sisted of phosphorus and nitre. or
phosphorus, sulphur and chlorate Of
| potash, mixed with gum and colo.cd
| with Vermillion, red lead. umber, prus-
| sian blue, SCOT, or other pigments.
| The safety match" was invented
| b. a Swedish manufacturer of jon
| kcping named Lundstrom, in 1856. The
| employment of phosphorus in the "con-
| greves' rendered them liable 10 acci-
| dental ignition, and so Lundstrom left
| IL out of the composition applied to the
| match, and, instead, mixed it with the
| sand on the friction surface, thus sep
| aratinE the highly intlammable mater
| ial from its intimate and dangerous
| connection with sulphur and Chlorate
| of potash The safety matches Eight
| only on the box in theory but they
| may be ignited by drawing them rap
| idly across a polished glass surface,
! Ike mirror of a plate glass window.
| Only the so-called Portland match-
| es' and a few other varieties of the
| wooden match are now dipped in sui
phur, stearine or paraffine having been
substituted to render the splints more
inflammable. There is a Boston man
who fills his matchbox and ticket pock-
cts with Portland matches" whenever
he goes to New York, and takes great
delight in Offering them to his friends
there TO light their cigars. This brand
of matches is little known on Manhat-
tan Island, and as the smokers, think
ing they have their customary lights,
kAN. &c, IsASn es.