The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-12-02
QUEER CAUSES OF FIRES.
O,b nv ryR 'gu k>OWN 10 NJ
me ~ fNI,DIsRjsW


. NV ''Itll ~ NNNiN ~ INl Nl'l'h''Il'f
dinfl-m is ~ ouo" sussr-tcd Set iu,c-'ls'-
'ior shows that lcs- than I Der cont ~ such
nf'- ~" tEn result # y deliberate attempt 80
drs'roy properly
1l'-eaf" however. IN ",rr, ,tl professional
incerdiHr's mon who for Iny viii IT." build
iuTs hN the uust Ingenious method ~
course. the object ~ Il . arson l. M" collection
# the iu-urRu'. by tie ~ ner 81 IA" property.
On" of the f%avutit" schemes II W." u'"ndiaty
calls for u chair, mn oil STOW" and a long cord
The stov" l. ilaoed upon the chair. and tho
w'k lighted To the hack Of IT," char Is 'i'd
. strong cord Tho cord l. passed ont thr"uch
u window The nr'hug pulls n" cord ~ th"
desired moment. tIr-ni- the chair, and tie lWin-
ing oil from tlo stove starts the hlGI" Nn"'h"r
scheme requires only nm electric hight bulb
and 4 box Of cloth cliI pings u" current
II electricity l. turned IN ard the GIFTED buib
IL packed IN he Clippings lNr'rments
hav" shown that 1t requires fourteen minutes
10 melt The glass bulb aud set ahre tie mater
ials surrounding u
IA" irchuc. however, acc0iullish's CONF
parativ.lV little cnmuar.d To hi friends. Mo
jerry builder, the careless carpenter. tie m
! competent electrician, and the plumber and
The PAINTER. who are too free With their spirit
lamus In An Investigation OF Sei suspicious
Ares made In lsa, ~ Peter Saery. the Fire Mar
,hal Of New York. there were only two fres
which were absolutely proved TO have been
81 iucrndiary origin. In several other cases
persons were arrested on m" charg" az arson.
INT iurics failed 10 convict them. Tn. Inv, ST.
-. ro.,hal +, ~ or. q
N''''' 81 '"'H' u'NS " Nv 80 "
twelve persons. the majority OF whom were
discharged bv Magistrates for the lack Il
.,,L,Ir. a,ida,a. /, not o..es ,b.re
'""''l"'" ''"'"e :" m', ,n
seemed 10 b" a moral certainty OF ~" gun
of the accused PERSONS There we're in New
york CITY in sos 4, ~, arc. from all c,ps.s
Tr %" 49, u, i. o. nv,.,i,o,, oros
Those who's" duty " l. 10 IhN's''so'' nr's
81 suspicious origin are confronted with many
d,mr,l,i,. Not IN. least Of thes, il IN. man
''' 49, ' -
hrr III "h'ch C"'Iehs' appar'h''y Tor ~" Ro"u
reason. deliberately mi slead the IN Investigators.
, d,puty rrc marshal once spent nearly a day
- ',I !, Ga rhi.h ~, Lan,ra1
III me investigator % u ure "h''H ne pe"cNtu
10 have been the work OF an lncrhdiary. lie
would probahly have still been In the dark
WIN resNru 10 u hau ny nui n'eihoa,u con,
vsrsa,'Tn a. y" wa iraotns 'ha men,
sIhsclhs eh'cssh w We A',rneh o. IN o. w
apartnleh,s = DhHr from tne Dummy pa,ta
@iovs and tie IRE ,Tresd rapidly ilIGnsioat
me room lhihk'hs WA, IN" wou,u ps Zen
Sured for ca,aasssoiS i ,hs hau eSmur" ne
Rr'al deal 81 uouhIt' pTH,d'> ot'rs'ns 'hho-
'ei, pepsoir nnunr ~ %."" ,o,,ror or,,,
such N as ." are as%stsn'iy o %s1 r p IN IaIHe ct'es'
must have some knowledge Of chemistry.
phy-lcs. arGnaec,ure ana Oh a NapetT oL ",nrr
Tor instance, that q combination 81 indiHn ana
In-eed on 10 a pI3iinG source Oh heSthHc,lve
with a prsral .if165n Of iipseed oil vii. i stored
n a confined space. take mr. 81 themselves.
Iva was "nIS q ,Gw ds,fcS Se9 tna, a GrE t1 nr
81 oil and Of the Indian dye. 1amrblnck when
packed away in an in-ventilafed room often
generates enough nanI 10 sci lSei OH ire In
one ~ the principal cities Of the | nltsd states
the laboratory of a gerfumer was nearly wrecked
ihat a discharged emp loyee had SCI fire to the
hnilding. but il was shown that the fire was
in a room, in which a small laboratory gas stove
had been left burning
There passed through the streets Of Boston
n few years ago n load OF hay which suddenly
became enveloped in flame. The driver ~
the hay wagon was about to assault n gulleles-
The trouble. however, had nothing 10 do with
the cigarette smoker, but was caused by the
tire ~ the wheel rubbing against an iron rod
seen the spark caused by the contact between
The pieces ~ metal fy into the hay. IN all
csnse Of fires i, the rubbing 81 leather bel'ins
against the edges Of the aperture through
which il pa-se- from floor 10 floor.
u In " , tsncy goods house a large iron vault
was blown open by some force generated within
and there issued a sheet OF flame. Nobody
had hecn in IN. vault for M least twelve hours.
The steel Dor was filled with paper dolls. be-
iveau zach pair OF which there was a fln Of
Cplluloid A three-inch steam pipe was placed
against the rear 81 the vault and the heat IL
vsc. ont had raised the temperature Of the
iron box 10 such u degree tina, the oelluloid
films lad taken fire. Connection il one ~
the Co,nponept parts OF C.lluloid and he pN-
r,ln.inn wns ne natural result Of n combination
~ vrtnCDtton and high teiulerature One Of
the most stubborn fires which ever visited
Chicago had its origin IN a plate glass window
The pane concentrated the heat of the August
,un IDou "A celluloit comb. The comb bIaz.d
and suuttered and soon the other sample, 81
celluloid which were around II were OH ERE.
The tamea communicated 10 IN. remgind.r ~
a stnck of inHammabl. merchandise
The oyerveeuiny fondne,s az mice and
rats for sulphur has been tho cans. az
many fire, deputy fire marshal aid
Thai he had i'm several cnses seen nests Of
ina, he. which the rats and mic. had mad.
hetwe.n the floors Of buildings 1, 4. no nm
IsuaI Thing vLep - rIc'ures are beinr tnru
down To md that Tho rodents have lined their
ahodes with Tie mstous-annoiutc ed stick.
The mice and rails will steal AN old fashioned
suinhur match wbereyer they p., AN n,nnr-
tuniiv and take il ayay 10 chew NJ their l.i sire
Tie unaw inu n,oCess results i'm The ,unIttnu ~
tha ,raI,I,..s mud hare folInu. . nIv.t.riu,I- ouI
,u.ri,Jnu. ere Tho rodeut. reoard raroena
os a ,hn,,a ,.li,a,, n tha insuIntirn 81 nm
.i.c,,i ii, a i,. contains Ibis un,y irnS,n,t ~
re,,niaun' ia raj. will aat IL 1ba I,,r.i
uit. 49, h.rntre. a ready. ,naap. ~ startiu,,
n biaze
H. r,.n,. ,.s.- ,h. stanu,O,,., f. ,,sr.n.IJ.
r,, d."t r,c,ivn Nr.s If "a s,ea,, ,ir,. ino
u. ,aJu,rL n ,L., 80, 49,,