The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10
QUEER FIRES.
Rivers, Automobiles, CIergymen, and
Other Sundries Which Sometimes
Blaze Unexpectedly.

Blaze Unexpectedly.
From the London Globe.
Although in one-that is to say the lit
eral-sense the Thames has yet to be set
on fire, both the River Meme, near Peter
borough and the Chicago river in the Unit
ed States have had that misfortune in the
course of this year. In the first instance
fire broke out on a number of barges laden
with compressed straw; then the craft got
loose, floated down the river for a mile
converting it into river of flames thus
realizing Milton's lines regarding Fierce
Phlegethon" and its waves of torrent
fire" and, incidentally, almost set fire to
a wooden bridge belonging to the Midland
Railway, which was only saved by extra
ordinary eXertions on the part of the fire
brigade. In the case of the Chicago fire
a bridge was actually destroyed, but in
this conhagration, caused by the ignition
of oil and grease covering the surface of
the river, the flames leaped fifty feet high
and burned fiercely for over an hour. Both
these fires We're very bad 20 deal with,
but it is doubtful whether firemen were
ever called upon to tackle a more difficult
task than on the occasion of a fire al
candle mandatory at Chesterton three
or four years ago when hundreds of tons
of wax melted and flowed in blazing
streams over the ground in the neighbor-
hood, for the weapons with which fire is
usually fought were in this case of no
avail. AS water was altogether useless,
the firemen could only dig trenches to stop
the flow of liquid fire, and it was not until
a bank of earth and turf was thrown up
of considerable dimensions that It was ar
rested. the trenches only stopping the ad-
vance momentarily. In the vicinity of
the fire the ground was for a hundred
yards thicky carpeted with wax.
II is a curious fact that the advent of
midsummer day is usually hera,ded by
furniture van catching fire and being, with
its contents consumed in the-road. This
year fire engine had to be summoned to
put out a van i'm Chiswick high road. and
last year the Catford fire brigade had
similar call to Lewisham. A few years ago
the Tooley street brigade had curious
fire to deal with; van of building mate
rial caught fire, and instead of the engines
being brought to the fire 4he driver has
| tened the fire to the station TO be extn-
guished That automobiles should occa-
sionaly catch fire and cause the occupants
considerable annoyance is perhaps, only
to be expected, but that q cyclist should
catch fire is somewhat extraordinary. Ear
ly last year two boxes of matches In the
pocket of a rider elected to burst into
flame when the unfortunate man was
coasting down a long and fairly steep hill.
Owing to the impetus OF MS machine the
| 5nintentional "scorcher' was unable to
arrest his own progress Or thar Of the fire.
and but for the presence at the bottom of
the hill of pond In farm yard, into
which he had the presence Of mind 70
ride matters might have gone very badly
with him During the harvest thanks
giving service one Sunday evening last
October the congregation in Chalcombe
| Church Banbury, were horrihed TO OBJ
serve that the occupant of the pulpit was
on fire whereupon several members rose
from their seats and the unusual cry or
ssyon're on fire sirr' rang through the
church. Having put out the flames, which
had burned the sleeves Of his surplice ana
almost reached his head, the preacher con-
tinued with his address, which, not being
a fiery harangue" though of stirring elo-
nuence could not be held responsible for
the conflaSration.
statue carried in one of the great re-
| lieioug procession during Holy week this
wear at Seville caught fire and was com
pletely destroyed though the jewe'ry
adjoining it, which was valued al 5000,
was saved; the cause Of Ignition was prob
ably a candle or torch carried in TOO close
nroximity to the figure. On some occasions
II is almost impossible TO trace the source
of a confagration indeed. most people
would have owned themselves, haffied by
a fire that took place In Remington road
last year when one door being burst open
an armchair was discovered 70 De gaily
burning for no apparent reason. II after
ward transpried that the seat was padded
with grass and green hay, which had
become "sweated" and eventually caught
fire owing TO the heat given out by that
process.
Another case Of an extraordinary cause
of Are occurred early this year, when
freight train in Pennsylvania loaded with
nip iron caught fire. and not only was
burned itself. but set fire to the buildings
of an iron company in its neighborhood. II
seems that owing to the Unprecedented
activity in the iron industry, manufactur-
ers in America were compelled 70 load the
mefal not. in this case with disastrous re-
gults Moreover, Il IS related that in about
the middle OF April fire was caused by
the sun using a glass paper weight as a
burning gloss and setting fire to desk.
while another conhagration was caused
through the same agency, but with an
electric light bulb taking The place o. the
paper weight IN concentrating the roys.
About two wears ago strange Ore took
place IN Wellsboroueh. United States OF
America. when the Anti-cigarette League
bought Up the whole stock Of cigarettes IN