The San Francisco call., 1899-08-12
Strange Occurrences That Are Re
corded of Conhagrations.

corded of Conhag grations.
One would imagine that the last place
In the world where one would expect a
fire TO break out would be some twenty
five feet below the surface or the sea.
Nevertheless, a workman employed in
Iaying the foundations of a seawall at
Plymouth, England enjoyed, if we may
use the expression in this instance, this
strange and awful experience some time
ago.
The man had to descend in a. diving
bell. which at the top was htted with
heavy circular convex glasses. ana as the
trated the rays on one spot on the WORK
mans clothes, with the result that they
were set on fire somsWnatf new a. s1iiliIar br,, ile
the suns rays being focused by the large
glass bottles in the windows on to some
combustible material that did not belle
With the exception of fire under water,
perhaps the next most unlikely place one
would imagine a fre 70 preak OUT III
temperature considerably below zero a
fire is not impossible; as was proved IN
May, 1897 at cold-storage warehouse Oh
a large New York firm.
Wien the fremen were fighting the
flames large tank containing ammonia,
used in making aruflclal Ice, eXplooed'
spreading dense fumes in every direction,
and it was not until after several hours
hard work, amid the most intense cold
and suffocating fumes, occasloned by the
ammonia that the fire was got under con-
troll AT the expense of one mans life and
terrible sufferings on the part OF others,
occasioned by, the poisonous gases ana the
Shortly afterward the works OF the
Geneva Ice Company caught fire, and the
houses, engine room, etc, were completely
gutted, leaving the large masses OF ice
standing alone like so many icebergs
amid the smoke occasioned by the smol-
dering ruins-a remarkable erect
had to attend to an outbreak Of fire at
Brock & Co.'S warehouse, Liverpool were
greatly impeded by the suffocating names
occa asioned by the burning OF large masses
of salt that burned with a vivid blue light.
Not only were the fumes disagreeable but
there were other unpleasant features OF
this fire in the shape of flakes of partially
consumed salt that made the atmosphere
black and which occasioned an eXtraor-
dinary effect on the spectators eyes.
A similar effect to certain extent was
the result of a fires at the extensive color
works of Messrs. Speir of Cologne, which
resulted in a loss estimated at several mil
lion marks but in this instance the ire
occasfoned a fall of cOlored rain in the
Wupper Valley.
The mystery in which the. origin of
many fires is shrouded is really not very
extraordinary in view of the thousand
and one ways fires can be occasioned. es-
pecially when we consider that the orig
inatOr is frequently destroyed before the
fire is put out Last March at Thornton
Heath cat caught fire in the sitting room
of a shop and then rushed into the ShOp
itself speedilY setting it ablaze This was
a curious origin of fire, but the case of
fire at LouYiers was even more eXtraor-
dinary.
In this instance a horse washed with
para fin to cure it of a certain complaint
was left enveloped in rug; apparently
the horse became restless, and 1t is
imagined began to paw the stone-paVed
floor of it's stable with its hOofS, with the
result that the sparks occasioned by the
striking of the steel horseshoes on the
stone floor set fire to the poor animal,
which, in. turn, set fire to the stable.
which was gutted.
When the English cricketers were over
in Australia one of the reports of the
matches mentioned that owing to the
bush fires the light was very bad; to
show how bad these fires can be we have
only to mention that during the four worst
days at a single lighthouse on the coast
there were used 800 rockets in order TO
locate it's position to passing vessels-a
supply sufficient under ordinary circum-
/ stances to last a year.
In California, some time ago, fire was
extinguished by having wine poured on
it in the absence of water, while cider
on another occasion was used for a like
purpose; but without doubt the fire that
put Itself out is the most highly TO be
commended.
Some time ago a fire was occasioned
in Melbourne by rats gnawing some wax
matches; the heat. however. melted some
escaping water eXtenguished the flames
If it had finished its task and let the mat
ter rest there all would have ended well
but unfortunately the water once started
continued to flow, with the result that the
premises were flooded instead of gutted