The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-05
VARIOUS WAYS FOR
GETTING A LIGHT
They All Depend Upon the Agency Of
Friction.
BUT THE PROCESS HAS CHANGED
Some Facts Noted Apropos OF the
Recent Death OF Sir Isaac Holden,
the Reported Inventor OF the Luci-
fer Match-.A chapter on Match-
making.

making.
From the Boston Herald
The announcement that Sir Isaac
Holden, NJ. r.. who died recently In
London, was the inventor of the lucl-
fer match may be correct. but there
is strong evidence to the contrary.
Phosphorus friction matches were
made in Paris as long ago as 1916
and in 1927 they were manufactured
in considerable quantities in England
They were introduced on commercial
scale in England siXty-three or Sixty
four years ago, and appear TO nave
been brought out almost simultaneous
" in several other cities in Europe.
The name most prominently connected
with the early stages of the invention
is Pichel of Vienna, who in 1888 had
factory in operation, making, besides
phosphorus matches, fuses and amadou
tor German tinder slips tipped with
an igniting compound. At the same
time also matches were being made by
Moldenhauer in Darmstadt.
There is good authority for the be-
lief that the friction match was the
product of the ingenuity of John Fred
erick Komerer who. early in the CEN
tury, was imprisoned in the peniten-
tiary at Hohensperg, in Germany. He
began manufacturing after he was re-
leased from prison, but was ruined by
Viennese competition and died a paup-
er. Up to 1862 the manufacturers of
Austria and South Germany controlled
the match business of the entire world.
PRIMITIVE PROCESSES.
The primitive method of kindling a
fire was no doubt, the use of friction.
Two pieces of wood were rubber to-
sether until the dust evolved by the
operation ignited by the heat produced.
This mode was still in vogue a few
years ago on some of the smaller is
lands Of the Pacific, which had not en-
joyed the advantages of sufficient COM
merce with Eurone or America 20 keep
them supplied with more modern con-
trivances. The usual way of per-
forming this operation is to press the
sharpened end Of stick of hard wood
against a piece of soft wood, notched
to receive the point, and twirl 1t rap
idly back and forth between the palms
of the hands. The small particles
rubbed off are kindled after a while,
and a little dry moss is added to in
crease the flame, until it is large en-.
ough to communicate to twigs and
Spliuters. While this method answers
we'll with the uncivilized people 'yho
employ it. il requires much habit and
great strength, as shipwrecked mar
ines and "matchless' travellers have
loU@d to their sorrow.
n Terra del FueGo, at the extremity
'" South America. early tray ,llei $
and tNe natives producing fire rN
p,'',u@ briskly 81 nteco OF pvrltta
..a'rr' d, tliuty Stone I,ld catching tho
..''k- u",u dry. plissv suhs:nncn.
.ri,n was qucl;ly nHnmcd. Tn's APP
.".Gv.cd nearly 80 the dint anG steel
r-~ y'cd by civilized cations
FLINT AND STEEL.
~ Sea ;hr cnd Of the first quarter of
H.. present century tie lint and steel
ere 2imoSt the only Instruments of
. ;til~ light in the civilized world.
=. r.oua forms of apparatus were used,
VI ali employed these two substances
20 civ" out the spark. Minute frag-
n.6l'Is ot steel We're thrown off by
striking it against the flint, and these
Particles. rendered intensely hot by the
frictio.r, We're caught on tinder. finder
was made by partially burning linen
of them hut carbon in very attenu
ated state 1t is very susceptible of
ignition, but it does not flame up and
will not Immediately communicate fire
to paper or wood, because the ccm-
bustible parts of these. substances are
combined with others that retard
rather than aid, combustion, and there
fore require a certain time to separ-
Of haf iC h
er and more infiammable substance
therefore, was necessary to take fire
from the tinder, and this was found
in sulphur. The pointed ends of thin
slips of highly resinous or very dry
pine wood We're dipped in melted sui
phur, and, thus prepared. instantly ig-
nitcd when applied to the incandescent
tinder. These bits of prepared wood
were the first '"brimstons matches
They were exceedingly malodorous, and
to avoid their use match paper" ol
touch paper" a thick paper impreI
mated with saltpetre, or amadou. a felt.
like substance, prepared from the fun.
gus Polyporus fOmentarius, were some,
times substituted for tlnder as the re.
cipient of the spark from :lint ana steel
and would communicate fire without
the Intervention of the sulphur match
BlacksmiJhS occasionally ignored
flint and steel in lighting their forg,
fires, by striking soft iroE wire smart
blows with Il hammer. making il rec
hot in few seconds, anu thrusting il
into a little heap of powdered brm
stone and sawdust, which it immedi,
ately kindled.
POPCCN ILLUMINATON
Early in the century an ingeniou.
FrInchman utilized The wel!-knowl
fact that the rapid compression nf ali
creates intense heat, in hglt-strikint
apparatus made like a popSun closed
at the end. Placing amadou in tn,
closed end and forcing the piston dowr
with geat force, sufficient heat wal
generated to kindle the tinder, and
light could be procured from it with
birthstone match. This apparatus wal
uncertain and easily put out Of order
and never came into common use.