The evening times., 1899-03-04
INVISIBLE FIREBUGS.
bacteria Which Promote Sponta-
neOuS Combustion.
on. Jean de LOverdo, in La Nature.)

(M Jean de Loverdo, in La Nature.)
An inherent tendency in our minds often
leads us TO imagine that habits, dislikes.
acts, and passions like our own belong to
the beings that surround US. to our lower
fellow-creatures, TO the animals of the sta
BILE and the beasts of the woods. TO the
tyrants of the air and the peaceful dwell
eFs in the waters. But rare are the living
creatures that have as good title to these
attributes as the microbes. Their invIsi-
BILE world seems like an echo of our strife
and combats of our activity. of our indus
tries. of our qualities, and of our miseries.
Some of them, beneficial 10 man. enroll
themselves willingly in his service and
rival each other in strife to augment his
resources. while others, without relation
10 US. seem TO have no action on their sur
roundings: they live without care as anna
teurs. as artists, or, if you prefer the word.
as colorsts Sometimes they grow in our
kitchens, color our bread red, or our milk
blue; sometimes they transform into scar
let the white SHOWS of Alpine regions, or
lend TO the immensely of the ocean the
varied tints of their resplendent matter.
But side by side with these inoffensive
dilettanti. who seem to exist only for the
joy of showing their brilliant colors OF the
sun. the microbian world also-alas.-in-
cludes q number OF groups of very bad
dals, who, not content with attacking the
lives of ourselves and our domestic ami
mails. carry their rage for destruction so
far as TO set fire to our property. And if
they pay dear for it. for the flames destroy
them also they do all in their power to
bring about this result. Many cases of
spontaneous combustion are incontestably
their work.
Although the cause of these combustions
N have haan known and aYnari-
mentally proved as far back as Liebig
time it is only recently that it has been
established to the satisfaction both of
scientists and practical men. Among the
conversions brought about by the evidence
of facts may note that of great Aus
trian agriculturist, NJ. Benesch, who for
thirty years refused to put faith in the
spontaneity of such combustion. Never
theless, several years ago he was forced to
admit it by an accident that occurred at
his farm at Meierhof.
In an inaccessible barn on a very high
scaffold he placed, one after the other, 500
loads of hay, cereals, and legumes cut
green. About the middle of the pile a
mass of mixed oats and vetches began to
grow hot. The employe of the farm as
! well as it's owner did not appreciate the
danger, and waited for time to cool this
incomprehensible ardor. They Jared badly.
however, for several days of waiting served
only to encourage and make more active
the work of the microscopic heaters. At
the end of a week light curl of smoke
arose from the barn and caused disqufet
in the farm of Meierhof.
NJ. Benesch, after his unfrutful appeal
to time. had recourse to air. whose contact,
he thought, would cool off the pile and
ducts of this mysterious effervescence But
scarcely had his laborers reached with
great toll, the centre Of the pile when
flames burst out on all sides, transforming
the heated forage into an immense fur
mace. The laborers, indeed, did not get
cut alive without great effort. Every pre-
sumption of incendiarsm or the contact
Of burning body being impossible to
maintain, this fire put an end to the pre-
vious skepticism of the proprietor of
Meierhof in regard to the spontaneous COM
bustion of hay.
Other facts, not less striking confirm
the spontaneity of these accidents SO we'll
that German insurance companies have
given serious attention to the matter OF
foreseeing them in some way. The losses
of one company from this cause reached in
relatively short time the sum of $500 900
francs $500, ,G00). We need none of US ey-
pect that our farms will escape Strangely
enough, an excess of water brings on the
fire. The history of wet years shows this
WELL Last August a haystack holding
$4,000 Kilograms (sixteen tons) took fire
| near Aulnaysous- -Bois, and barn full of
| hay burned spontaneously near Saint
Amand This was because the hay har-
vest of 1898 took place in unfayorabIe
conditions, and the excess of moisture
predisposed the hay to Inflammation.
This spontaneous combustion, in fact is
only the last act in one of these secret
dramas that are played silently in the
centre of badly dried masses of forage or
in the heart of bales of cotton or tobacco
The microbes that exist in all these vege-
able matters, excited by the contact of
water vapor. grow and increase rapidly.
Their battalions form for the attack on the
great fortress of vegetable fibre, which
they dismantle and digest. This work Of