The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-03-10
known To ignite spontaneously

known To ignite spontaneously.
1t is doubtful if such organic mat
ter as damp grain or seeds Of any
kind ever ignite spontaneously
though they will develop considera-
Bile heat when stored in bulk. In
the South. before the manufacture of
cotton seed oil became general. it
was customary for the planters to use
their surplus cotton seed As 4 ma
nure. These they would put into
heaps, covered lightly with earth,
until the heating of the mass became
sufficient to destroy the terminating
power of the seed. In this condition
they were used As manure.
Gun cotton is one of the high eN-
plosives and is considered about
three times the strength of gun pow
der. 1t is made by subjecting clean
cotton to the action of nitric acid and
is usually stored in wet condition.
For certain purposes of warfare il is
considered superior To gun powder
and is often used to charge torpe-
does.
This peculiar action of the mixed
acids on cotton is also apparent when
other vegetable tibres are immersed
in it. Sawdust, when deprived of
its gum and resinous constituents,
NAV be converted into a kind of pow
der by sub bjecting it to the action of
the acids named.
The storage and handling of gun
cotton is considered not more haz-
ardous than ordinary gun powder.
Whether or not it is liable to Sponta-
neous combustion is a question for
the chemists to decide.
Explosions of any kind usually sur
prise us and ali are mysterious until
we know the cause.
Two mysterious accldents, which
came under the observation OF the
writer. might have never been "N-
planned had they not been carefully
investigated. A new steam engine
and boiler was set up and fired, just
as it was received from the maker.
Not a pound of steam could be got
into the cylinder, though the valves
were all wide open and a heavy pres
sure on the boiler. AT last it "c-
Cured TO the engineer to take apart
a packing joint in the steam pipe
when he discovered that the rubber
packing had been inserted whole.
that is, without any opening being
provided for the steam to pass
through. Without proper investiga-
ton the explosion would never have
been accounted for.
Another remarkable explosion on a
small scale, was that of L common
modern axle of Il two-horse wagon.
The axle had broken in the middle
and was taken to blacksmith shop
for repair. Like many of the country
wagons the wooden axle was fitted at
each end with east iron ''thimhlc
boxes" These the smith undertook
to remove by putting them into his
fire. so that the irons might be loos-
cncd and placed on new axle.
There was a violent explosion and
bits of the iron flew into every dl-
rection, wounding the smith, who in
sisted that the thing had been loaded
especially for him. The explanation
! was easy. The wagon had stood for
quite a while in the rain and water
had accumulated in the hollow end
| of the thimble and was securely con
fined there by the swelling OF the
wood. The heat of the blacksmith :
forge generated steam in the space
until it burst the cast iron.
ANY physicist who desires to inves-
tigate explosions will find numerous
| natural causes and conditions to eX'
plain them. not dreamed Of by the
average citizen.
In the present condition of the IN
| VeStigatlOn no one can say "ha'
caused the destruction of the Maine
We NAV know some time. who car
saye THOS. {. HARflS.